


Every Sign Pointed Straight To You

by PinkEasterEggs



Series: All Part Of A Grander Plan [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adopted Peter Parker, Aunt Natasha Romanov, Aunt Pepper Potts, Father-Son Relationship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Kid Peter Parker, Parent Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark Friendship, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Has a Family, Protective Natasha Romanov, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, Uncle James "Rhodey" Rhodes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-05-18 22:35:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19344043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkEasterEggs/pseuds/PinkEasterEggs
Summary: The in-between years of Tony and Peter's relationship, showing how they became father and son.Set between Part One and Part Three of Bless The Broken Road.(You don't have to read the other story to read this but it would help fill in gaps)





	1. First Day Home; 4 years old

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Peter and Tony's father-son fic! I hope you like it :)
> 
> It won't flow in like day to day chronology like a proper story and it might skip several months or years between chapters but i'll put how old Peter is in each chapter :)
> 
> (Also i changed the series name to All Part Of A Grander Plan so i hope it doesn't confuse anyone that the name changed sorry)

Peter cried the whole way back on the plane ride from England to Malibu. He sobbed endlessly into Tony’s shoulder, his chubby hands wrapped around the man’s neck for the entire flight. Mr Bear was squished between their chests, his nose digging into Tony’s left side but he didn’t dare try and jostle the bear about.

In all honesty, Tony wasn’t sure why Peter was crying. Maybe it had been due to leaving Peggy (the most likely cause) or perhaps it was because it was hard for the 4 year old to fathom his mother, once his rock, now looking so old whilst he still looked the same. Peter was smart but no child could properly grasp the concept of getting abducted and put into cyrostasis for 55 years. 

The goodbye between Peter and Peggy had been emotional to say the least. Tony had offered for Peggy to move in with them back in Malibu but his Godmother had just shaken her head, sadly claiming that she was too old to just up and leave the country she was used to living in. As much as it had broken her heart, Aunt Peggy had acknowledged she was no use to Peter at the old age she was in now. Perhaps 20 or 30 years ago she could’ve carried on raising Peter but at 84, she needed all the help she could get herself without adding a child to the mix.

Tony hadn’t even been able to watch their goodbye, the crying becoming too much. Instead, he’d gone outside and phoned Pepper to check that all the legal documents were going through. He also sent Happy out to buy a carseat so when they arrived in Malibu, the kid would be as safe as possible in the car.

They’d stayed in England for several nights after the reunion of mother and son (and Fury barging in) so leaving was hard on everyone. Peter had just cried, hugging his mother goodbye as she’d told him numerous times that she loved him. Even May had shed a few tears, making Tony promise to come to New York soon so she could introduce Peter to her new husband, Ben. 

(By the end of the few days, all of Peggy’s extended family had found out about Peter and were dying to meet him.)

Tony just wanted to take things slow, though. Peter was still just a kid and he didn’t want to overwhelm him too much. The kid had just come out of cyrostasis for less than 2 weeks and already he’d travelled from DC to New York to England and back again. Peter needed stability and Tony was trying his best to provide that. He’d already called for people to come in and do up Peter’s room (he was thinking the guest bedroom beside his own that overlooked the sea just as Tony’s did.)

The plane ride was awkward to say the least. Tony was blatantly aware that the days where he went on his private jet only to get hit on by the flight attendants and perhaps even get lucky were long gone. Instead of batting their eyelids at him and giving him sultry smirks, the women all glared whenever they had to pass the sobbing little boy that was latched onto the billionaire. Tony couldn’t blame them, only a couple of weeks ago he would’ve done the same thing, giving parents glares when their child so much as raised their voice.

Peter eventually calmed down, his sobs turning into small hiccups when the plane landed in sunny California. He rubbed his eyes, the skin underneath his eyes all red and splotchy, as Tony carried Peter off the jet and into the Malibu sun. The warm weather was a complete turn around from England’s cloudy and rainy few days.

“Boss,” Happy nodded as Tony neared the waiting black car. “I heard that the stowaway is going to be sticking around for a little while.”

Tony just chuckled, nodding. He shifted Peter in his arms slightly so the kid would look up and see the driver. “Happy, this is Peter. Peter, this is Uncle Happy. Uncle Happy’s my driver and bodyguard.”

“Hi,” Peter mumbled weakly, his crying having tired him out. The kid sagged into Tony’s embrace, laying his head down on the billionaire’s shoulder again.

“Uh— hey kid,” Happy cleared his throat, obviously out of his comfort zone. Tony already knew that he was going to have to give the driver a raise when he ultimately adds chaperoning Peter to multiple functions to Happy’s job description.

“Let’s get you home,” Tony mumbled, ducking into the car and placing Peter into the carseat Happy had brought. Peter whined a little at breaking the contact between them but didn’t fuss too much as Tony did up the buckles before sitting in the seat beside him.

The car ride back to Tony’s Malibu Mansion was rather quiet, Peter having fallen asleep before Happy had even gotten out of the airport dock. When they arrived, Tony sighed as he calmly got out the car to walk to Peter’s side and pull the kid into his arms. The kid latched himself on so effortlessly that Happy smirked at the pair as they passed. “Take the night off, Hap,” Tony said in goodbye as he brought Peter home for the first time.

For years, people have been coming to Tony with the threats of carrying his child. There had been hundreds of pregnancy claims, child support qualms and paternity tests but each time they’d all come out negative. Tony had his fair share of fun but he never once forgot to wrap it all up. Every type of protection that he used was all to stop this moment from happening. He’d never wanted kids and he’d never wanted to do the whole ‘bringing the child home’ thing.

But Peter wasn’t a baby from some random one night stand. He wasn’t even Tony’s biological child and yet, as Tony walked through the doors of his Mansion, something just felt right. He’d never considered the Malibu Mansion as anything other than an elaborate bachelor pad but with Peter moving in, Tony was starting to think of it more as home. 

The kid was still fast asleep on his shoulder as Tony made it inside, now unsure what he was meant to do. Peter was out like a light so there was no chance of trying to wake him up. Gently, Tony placed him down on the sofa and pulled a blanket from across the back over the kid’s small frame. Peter’s bedroom still wasn’t ready yet, Tony planning to hire people to come in tomorrow to fix it up with a new paint job and children’s furniture, so the sofa would have to do for now.

“Hey J,” Tony called out to the AI as he walked over to the kitchen to pour himself a drink. He itched for some alcohol and as he passed the bar on the way to the kitchen, he almost gave in. But he held strong, pouring himself a glass of apple juice and trying to pretend that it had something in it. “You remember Peter, yes?”

“Your adorable guest, of course sir,” The AI replied immediately.

“He’s going to be staying here for an indefinite amount of time; i’m kinda adopting him.”

“Congratulations sir, this is wonderful news.”

“I need you to make him your highest priority, okay? Change the Primary Protective Protocol to Peter. I want to know anything that happens to him: temperature, illnesses, when he wakes and sleeps, injuries, emotional distresses . . . the whole lot, okay?”

“Very well, sir. On that subject, i think you would like to know that young Peter has awoken and seems to be engaging in dangerous activity.”

“What?” Tony practically ran around the corner, heart racing as he thought of what dangerous activity Peter could be doing. The kid had been fast asleep a few seconds ago. . . Tony sighed when he rounded the corner to see Peter giggling loudly as he jumped up and down on the sofa. In all honesty, Tony had no idea how the kid could go from asleep one second to a ball of energy the next.

Peter paused, looking like a deer caught in headlights. Tony just walked forward, lifting the kid up by his armpits so he wasn’t standing on the middle of the sofa anymore. “I guess you’re up, huh?” He looked down at Peter when he placed him on the floor.

Shuffling his feet, Peter nodded. “Sorry.”

Tony hated how small Peter looked when he was apologising. It reminded him of when he used to cower from Howard, afraid of his never ending disappointment. If Tony had been the one to get caught jumping on the sofa, it would've ended in either a yell or a scream for Maria to come and control ‘her’ son.

Tony’s promise to be nothing like Howard was the reason for why he ruffled Peter’s hair and put a smile on his face. “You like jumping, yeah? How about we get you a trampoline for the garden?”

Peter’s face lit up as he began cheering, jumping up and down in excitement. “Really? One just for me?”

“Yeah buddy, just for you!”

“Thank you!” He lunged forward, attaching himself to Tony’s legs in a hug. Tony just let out a loud laugh, kneeling down and smiling. 

“You want to see the rest of the house?”

Peter nodded, holding onto Tony’s hand as they walked around the Mansion. They walked through the many halls and rooms, Tony showing Peter all the cool things and promising to add more so the kid would never be bored. They passed the gym, spent a few minutes looking through the movies in the cinema room and dipped their toes into the indoor pool. By the end of the tour, Peter was staring around the large room that would soon be his bedroom with an awed look.

“This is my room?”

“Yeah kiddo,” Tony nodded, taking in the open space. It was larger than Tony’s room, with more floor space and a huge window overlooking the sea. With a different colour paint, a few toys and a smaller bed, Tony could see the room being perfect for the kid beside him. “We’ll need to decorate it up for you but it’ll be perfect after that. What colour do you want the walls to be?”

“Red!” Peter yelled out excitedly. “No, blue! Red! Blue! Red! Blue!”

Tony chuckled, ruffling Peter’s hair. “You don’t need to decide yet kiddo.”

They spent the rest of the day on the sofa, ignoring everything else apart from the movie playing in front of them, ordering pizza when it got later. By the time Return of the Jedi’s end credits rolled around, Peter was practically leaning on Tony, his face smushed into the elder man’s side. The entire day had been far more relaxed than Tony had anticipated.

“Tony,” Peter’s voice broke through the sound of the credits rolling in the background. He sounded tired, which was confirmed when Tony took one peak down to see the kid’s eyes beginning to fall shut.

“Yeah, kiddo?”

“Am i staying here with you from now on?”

Tony ran a hand through Peter’s curls, suddenly feeling more awkward. “Uh, yeah, kiddo. Is that okay?”

Silence filled the room again as Peter nuzzled into Tony’s side more, yawning loudly. “Yeah, i like your house.”

“It’s your house too now, Pete.”

Peter hummed quietly. “Tony, I like you.”

Tony felt suddenly choked up, the kid pressed into his side as small snores filled the room around him. This was his first proper day of bringing Peter home and it had gone off without any hitch. In a way, Tony had been expecting to mess up so badly and have the kid hate him.

“I like you too Peter,” he whispered down to the sleeping boy, liking how the sound of snoring made the once large and vacant Malibu Mansion feel more homey and warm. Their first day had gone well. Tony couldn’t wait for the next few thousand.


	2. Uncle Rhodey; 4 years old

Rhodey couldn’t wait to just get inside Tony’s house, kick his shoes off and hang out with his best friend. After being stationed away for several months, he’d finally been giving a brief period of time off and he was planning to use it to do a surprise drop in on his friends’ Malibu Mansion. Tony would never say it but Rhodey knows he was missed when gone.

“Welcome back Colonel Rhodes,” JARVIS greeted in his usual welcoming tones. Rhodey would openly admit that he did miss Tony’s AI when gone for a long time. JARVIS was almost as old a friend as Tony was.

“Hey J,” Rhodey walked through the foyer, already sliding his shoes off. It felt nice being able to relax in a house that was almost like his second home. All he had to do was manage to pull Tony out of his lab so they could enjoy a nice cold beer and catch up. “There’s no point in asking if Tones is down in his lab, is there?”

For as long as Rhodey had known Tony, one thing had been made completely clear: Tony liked to tinker. Whether it be cars or weapons, there was always something Tony was picking apart and making better.

“Actually sir is in the living room to your left,” JARVIS replied cooly, making Rhodey freeze. Tony was somewhere else in his house other than the lab? Or the bar? Rhodey couldn’t help but feel shocked.

He turned the corner, walking into the living room with a small frown. He expected to see Tony laying on the sofa with a dazed look, a glass of something strong and alcoholic in his hand as rubbish played on the TV. Or for Tony to be possibly accompanied by a petite woman in a short skirt and wandering gaze.

What Rhodey did see was something he had never expected to see in his life. Curled up on the sofa was Tony, eyes closed as he slept, his arm wrapped around a small body snuggled into his side. A kid, no older than 5 Rhodey would say, was snoring loudly, his head on Tony’s chest, one hand gripping Tony’s shirt in a tight fist. 

What the . . .?

Rhodey had been gone for only for a few months, definitely not enough time for his best friend to have conceived a baby and have said baby turn into a small child. 

“Tony?” Rhodey stepped forward awkwardly, almost scared to step too close. He pinched his arm just to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming. When the pain came, Rhodey knew he wasn’t making this up. His best friend, the womanising playboy who drank more than double his weight of alcohol in just one week, was fast asleep with a child curled into him.

“Tony?” Rhodey sucked in a breath, stepping closer. He reached out a hand and gently poked Tony until he started to wake. “Dude, wake up.”

Tony grumbled for a second, taking a while to open his eyes. When he noticed Rhodey, he smiled slightly, rubbing his free hand over his face in a tired way. “Platypus you’re back, good to see you pal.”

“Yeah, uh, it’s good to see you too,” Rhodey couldn’t help but keep the confusion in his voice. Was he meant to just ask about the child still fast asleep on his best friend or was Tony going to do the honours? 

“When’d you get back?” Tony’s voice was ladled with sleep and his eyes were slowly closing shut.

“Just now— are you going to tell me about the kid currently sleeping on you?” Rhodey blurted it out.

Tony frowned, looking confused before noticing the small form curled up on him. “Oh, ahh, that’s Peter.”

“Okay,” Rhodey was even more confused now. Who the hell was Peter? “And Peter is sleeping on you because?”

Tony yawned, close to falling asleep again. “He’s ‘m kid,” the words were mixed with a yawn but Rhodey heard it loud and clear.

“Your kid? Tony what the hell? Did you get someone pregnant? How come i didn’t know?”

“Cool it Speedy Gonzalez before you create your own conclusions,” Tony sighed, waking up more. “He isn’t mine biologically.”

“Then . . .?”

“I’ve adopted him— or i’m about to adopt him. Honestly, i’m not sure where the whole adoption process stands right about now, Pep’s the one handling it.”

“Tony . . . what?” Rhodey couldn’t wrap his head around it. Tony was adopting a child? Since when? “What the hell is going on?”

“Oi sour-patch, watch the language. There’s an impressionable kid here.”

Said impressionable kid was slowly waking up, yawning loudly as he rubbed his face into Tony’s chest. Rhodey watched in awe as his best friend rubbed the kid’s back, goading him into opening his eyes. Letting out a loud yawn and a sigh, Peter gently lifted his head, blinking slowly.

“Hi,” he spoke softly as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Rhodey had to admit the kid was cute with his large, brown eyes and messy mop of unruly brown curls.

“Morning kiddo, i think we fell asleep on the sofa by accident,” Tony peered down at the kid with a smile, ruffling his hair so it was even messier. Peter just yawned in retaliation. “There’s also someone here who wants to meet you.”

Peter finally noticed Rhodey, his eyes going impossibly wider as he smushed his face back into Tony’s chest for comfort. The hand gripping Tony’s shirt clenched even tighter.

“Uh, hi Peter,” Rhodey mumbled awkwardly. He was trying to act as if he wasn’t completely confused or disorientated by the situation. Out of all the things he’d expected to see when dropping in on Tony without an invite (his best friend downing booze, having female company, building in his lab, maybe actually working for once) it never even crossed Rhodey’s mind that he would be intruding on this. “I’m Rhodey, Tony’s friend.”

“Best friend,” Tony corrected, shifting himself on the sofa so he was sitting up properly. Peter followed his actions, once again clinging to his side. There was a stuffed bear in the kid’s hand, Rhodey noticed, with a Captain America mask and fur that looked like it had seen better days. From the looks of it, Peter had a death grip on the bear as well. 

“This is your Uncle Rhodey, Peter,” Tony stretched as he said the words, either ignoring or not seeing Rhodey’s puzzled expression. He was an Uncle now?

“Hi,” Peter lifted his head up from Tony’s side to give Rhodey a small smile. He still looked extremely shy but Rhodey thought it was a step up from hiding from him.

“Hey kiddo, why don’t you go play with the Legos in your room whilst i talk to Rhodey?” Tony suggested, ruffling the kid’s hair. They watched as Peter ran off without a glance back, no doubt going to do as Tony said. “Keep an eye on him, J,” he then called out as Peter left.

“Of course, sir.”

“Okay now the ‘impressionable kid’ is gone are you actually going to tell me what the hell happened whilst i was away?” Rhodey couldn’t help but frown, hands on his hips as he glared at the man on the sofa.

Tony ran a hand over his face again and sighed. Now that Rhodey looked at him properly, he looked like shit. Darker bags than usual were under his eyes, his hair was messy and greasy and Rhodey was pretty sure the faint odour in the room was coming from Tony’s armpits.

“I was going to tell you,” Tony sighed. “I didn’t expect you to barge on in before i had the chance to give you a heads up.”

“It was a surprise visit not barging in.”

“Potato potarto.”

Rhodey rolled his eyes. “Tell me what happened.”

By the time Tony had finished his very long story about realising Aunt Peggy had a child, going to SHIELD, accidentally meeting said child, him sneaking aboard his jet and then discovering who he was, Rhodey had a completely star-struck face on.

“And now you’re adopting a child?” He blinked several times in shock. “You’re going to adopt a 59 year old?”

“Technically he’s still 4, his physical and mental capacity was frozen too.”

“Do you think you’re capable?” It wasn’t meant to be a harsh question but Rhodey had to say it. They were talking about a child not one of Tony’s robots in the workshop. His best friend was a struggling alcoholic who hadn’t had a relationship going past a one night stand in years. Rhodey thought it was actually pretty sensible to ask if Tony was ready or able to care for Peter.

“I don’t know,” Tony sighed, running a hand through his greasy hair. “I just know that the kid has been home for 2 weeks already and i haven’t had a drop of alcohol in that time. And i spend every night watching movies with him until he falls asleep because he’s scared of the dark. And i haven’t properly relaxed in these 2 weeks or had time to go down to my lab and i’m completely exhausted to the point that i need to drink coffee before its even cooled down or i’ll fall asleep making Peter’s breakfast each morning. But each time i look at that kid’s face i know i’m doing the right thing.”

“You’re whipped, aren’t you?” Rhodey couldn’t help the smirk slowly growing on his face. He’d never heard Tony speak so softly or sweetly about someone before— much less a child.

Tony scrunched up his face. “Yuck, no i’m not.”

“Yes, you are,” Rhodey nodded, taking a seat on the sofa with a sigh. “You look like shit Tones and you’re doing it all for him. I never thought i’d see the day.”

“Don’t get sappy,” Tony moaned.

“You’re the one watching Disney films with the kid each night!”

“How do you know they’re Disney?”

“He’s 4, how could it not be Disney?”

They sat in silence for a little while, just enjoying each other’s company and getting used to the new information. “So i’m Uncle Rhodey, huh?” Rhodey spoke up quietly, turning his head to look at his best friend with a small grin.

Tony returned his smile. “Duh, there was no doubt about it.”

Uncle Rhodey. He actually liked it. 

“There’s, uh, something else i need to talk to you about,” Tony carried on, his smile dropping as nervousness kicked in. “Pep’s been doing all the legal stuff really— she’s a saint that woman— but she told me that i need to be the one to make the decision and that it’s vital or something. I dunno she keeps saying that it’s a responsible thing to do and obviously i thought of you but you’ve only just met Peter so i don’t know if you would even accept—“

“Spit it out, Tones.”

“Would you be Peter’s Godfather?” Tony swallowed down his nerves, looking at his best friend of years. “So, you know, if anything happened to me, you would look after him and care for him etc. It’s a big decision i know—“

“Yes,” Rhodey didn’t even hesitate. “Of course, yes. I’m honoured, Tony.”

“Really?” Tony looked shocked for some reason. “But you only just met Peter, i don’t want to force this on you.”

“If this kid means a lot to you then he means a lot to me,” Rhodey nodded. “I’ll be there for him if god forbid anything happens to you.”

“Thanks platypus,” Tony smiled. “And you’re going to love him. Peter is a pretty great kid.”

“I’m going to be the best Uncle ever.”

“Well, duh,” Tony rolled his eyes. “You wanna go play with him? I don’t wanna brag but i can built a mean Lego house when i put my mind to it.”

“I’m sure i can make one better,” Rhodey joked as they got off the sofa and walked to Peter’s room.

Tony scoffed. “I’d like to see you try.”

Rhodey smiled down at his friend, enjoying how happy Tony seemed to be. After years of knowing about the emotional strain Tony’s been burdened with his entire life, first from the bad relationship with his father to his inner demons; Rhodey already knew he loved the kid for how he seemed to have broken down Tony’s barriers and wormed his way into his heart. It wasn’t hard to see that Tony adored Peter and Rhodey couldn’t wait until he was able to properly live up to his new title.

Uncle Rhodey. The man had never liked one of Tony’s nicknames more in his life.


	3. A Nitty Problem; 5 years old

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if the pun in the title didn't give it away, this chapter is about lice-- i don't know if that grosses anyone out; it isn't super detailed because ew but it is mentioned so just beware if lice is a trigger for you :)

Tony was actually doing work for once, his hands moving over a new weapons 3D design layout when Pepper barged into his workshop and dropped an opened letter onto his work station. She stood in front of him, a scowl on her face and hands on her hips as Tony ignored the letter to favour her instead.

“You know i pay you to make me do work, not the opposite,” he sassed as Pepper rolled her eyes.

“That letter came from Peter’s school bag,” Pepper just pointed to the offending item. “You need to read it.”

“Have you read it?” Tony asked her instead of doing as she said.

“Of course.”

Tony picked up the letter, dropping it down to his feet before resuming his work on designing a new weapon. “Then you can tell me about it.”

Pepper sighed, far too used to Tony’s antics to feel frustrated. “There has been an outbreak of lice at Peter’s kindergarten, some kid in Peter’s class had them earlier this week. The kindergarten teacher advises all children either get treated or checked for them just in case.”

“I thought the reason we put Peter into a private kindergarten was so these sort of things don’t happen?” Tony frowned. “I thought we paid the pre-school a lot of money to avoid these things?”

Pepper rolled her eyes. “They’re children, Tony! You can’t expect the pre-school to stop lice, it’s a natural thing amongst small children.”

Tony scrunched up his face, his hands not stopping as they moved over the design. “Anyway, I’m sure Peter didn’t catch them. I haven’t seen the kid scratching.”

“He was itching his head at dinner,” Pepper informed him, thinking back to the 5 year old slowly munching on his pizza earlier that evening. Every few seconds, one of Peter’s hands would go up to his head and itch the same spot.

“I’m sure it was just a fluke.”

“Tony you have to deal with these things!” Pepper could feel her frustration thinning out. 

“I am dealing with it.”

“Saying it was ‘just a fluke’ and making the ultimate decision that Peter hasn’t caught lice without any actual evidence isn’t dealing with it.”

“Are you questioning my parenting?” Tony looked up with a pointed look. Even though Pepper was known for her bluntness and not being shy to put Tony in his place, there was a line she knew not to cross. The only times she ever criticised or made a comment about how Tony raised Peter was when she was truly angry or simply couldn’t contain how she felt about something Tony was doing.

“Of course not,” Pepper sighed, deciding to let the conversation drop. “Don’t forget the meeting with Obadiah next week.”

“I’m sure you won’t let me forget,” Tony yelled as Pepper left the lab, continuing to work on the weapon design before him. He was glad it was Saturday the next day considering by the time he finally brought himself away from the project, it was already in the early hours of the morning. 

With Peter coming into his life, Tony had needed to adapt his schedule majorly. Not just the parties, drinking and going out had been cut from his life but the late night working on designs had been reduced and Tony found himself eating far more regularly and healthily than before. Peter’s presence in his life had completely shifted his entire way of living (not that Tony minded).

Another major change was the time he was being woken up in the mornings. With a 5 year old in the house, lay-ins were something of the past. Even on a Saturday morning, the best day for just laying in bed and relaxing after a hard week of work, Peter would still barge into Tony’s room at 7 in the morning and poke his face until he woke up. Today was no exception. 

“I’m up,” Tony groaned, his voice breaking from the lack of sleep as Peter’s chubby index finger routinely jabbed him in the cheek. A lethargic hand reached up to stop the kid poking him in the face, his hand dwarfing Peter’s tiny wrist.

“Get up, get up, get up!” Peter whined, stopping his poking to instead flop down on Tony’s chest, making the man let out a groan. “Spongebob time! Spongebob time”

“You know where the TV is,” Tony refused to open his eyes, instead just staying still as the small child used his body like it was his own personal mattress. If he opened his eyes then it meant that Peter had won in getting him up.

“Tony,” Peter dragged out the last sound, wriggling upwards as he got louder so his chest was laying on Tony’s shoulders. With Peter’s face peering down at his, the elder man let out a loud sigh, opening his eyes. “Yay!” Peter’s eyes were too bright and happy for such an early time in the morning.

“You just wanted to be a pain, didn’t you?” Tony yawned loudly, no anger behind his words. Peter just giggled, the sensation felt on Tony’s collar bone, making his skin tingle. The kid was wearing his favourite Star Wars pyjamas, his hair messy and sticking up in random angles. Tony brushed some of the strands back, looking up at Peter with fondness. Even though it had only been a few months of Peter living with him and their new routine still agonisingly fresh, Tony knew he would never change mornings like these for the world. There was something . . . warm about them that made him feel more complete (especially compared to how he normally used to feel when he’d woken up with the body of a stranger sleeping beside him).

“Spongebob!” Peter yelled again with a loud grin, watching with glee as his loud words made Tony wince. “And breakfast, i’m hungry!”

“Wow, you’re a very demanding little thing aren’t you?” Tony pushed himself up, making Peter fall off his chest as he stretched. “Well then, lead the way kiddo.”

Peter cheered, hopping off the bed as he raced towards the door. Tony didn’t even need to tell JARVIS to keep watch of the kid, knowing the AI would do it anyway and alert him if he was needed. So far there had been no incidents but Tony’s blood went cold just thinking about the fateful day when JARVIS’ voice would cut through anything he was doing and tell him something might’ve happened.

When Tony made it to the large open space that was their living room, Peter was already planted in his usual spot of the middle of the sofa, Spongebob’s annoying laugh already filling the air around them. The kid didn’t even acknowledge when a sleepy Tony stumbled into the room, having pulled on an old band shirt between walking from his room to the living room.

“What you want for breakfast, kiddo?” Tony yelled out as he walked to where the kitchen was, still in view of Peter. He shook his head with a fond look, watching how the kid’s eyes seemed glued to the TV screen. It probably wasn’t a good thing that Peter was craning his neck up slightly to watch the large screen but Tony would let it slide so the kid could enjoy cartoons on a Saturday morning. He was desperate for Peter to have a different childhood to the one he had.

“Hot dogs!” Peter yelled back, still staring up at the screen.

Tony rolled his eyes, internally damning Rhodey for bringing this on. It had only been less than 2 weeks ago that his best friend had made another impromptu visit (which seemed to be happening more and more now that he knew about Peter) with a shopping bag full of BBQ food. Despite the fact that it was no longer summer, well into the Autumn to Winter weather, Rhodey had insisted on having Hot Dogs.

It turned out Peter loved Hot Dogs with a passion.

“How about waffles?” Tony yelled back, receiving no response. Waffles were easy to cook, simply buying pre-made ones and putting them in the toaster for a minute to warm up. Tony had never been a chef, his childhood consisting of people being paid to make his food so he never even knew how to cook an egg until his MIT days when Rhodey had decided it was a sin to be a ‘cooking virgin’. 

He’d progressed through the years, his culinary skills now making edible dishes. For Peter though, Tony found himself watching videos on how to make meals and baking goods, reading up on just about everything so he could be more useful. Tony was getting better but he wasn’t great. . . hence the pre-made waffles.

“There ya go,” Tony handed Peter his plate of waffles a few minutes later, a thin smear of chocolate spread over the top of them. “Eat up kiddo.”

They munched for a few minutes when Tony started to notice the scratching. The kid’s eyes were still glued to the TV, watching with a passive face as Spongebob looked for a missing Gary, when every few seconds or so the free hand not holding his food would reach up and itch at the same spot on the top of his head. Nothing seemed to sedate the itch for Peter would keep scratching.

“Itchy head kid?” Tony prayed that it wasn’t lice like Pepper had told him yesterday. Everything was going great with Peter at the moment, there was no need for hammers to be thrown in the works like this. In all honesty, Tony thought he’d been handling this parenting thing well but it had all been calm waters as of late. He hadn’t faced many challenges yet.

Peter shrugged, finishing his waffles and putting his plate on the side. He favoured ignoring Tony so he could continue to watch his show. Knowing he couldn’t let it drop, Tony held his breath as he shuffled forward so he was closer to Peter. The kid paid him no attention as he leant down, hands brushing some of his hair around so he could look down at his scalp.

Yep, the kid had lice.

Tony wanted to gag as he spotted it clear as day on Peter’s scalp. God, he hated it when Pepper was right (which was almost all the time).

“Change of plans for today, kiddo,” Tony turned off the TV, getting a loud protest from Peter as he did so. “You and i have a date with some conditioner today.” He picked Peter up from the sofa, placing him on his hip as Tony carried him towards his bedroom.

“What do you mean?” Peter frowned when Tony brought him into the billionaire’s ensuite bathroom. 

“You have lice kid,” Tony just sighed, grabbing all the things he needed like a towel, fine-toothed comb and conditioner. He could vaguely remember getting lice as a child himself and having one of his many nannies take care of it for him.

“What’s that?” Peter asked whilst furthering Tony’s point as he scratched his head. Tony just got Peter undressed, already starting the shower so they could get this over and done with.

“Lice are little things that live in your hair and they lay eggs— it’s why you’ve been scratching your head so much lately. They make your head itchy.”

“Are they going to kill me?” Peter’s eyes began to water, his hand freezing as it was about to scratch his scalp once again. His little face scrunched up, a look of horror overcoming his chubby features. In the few months that he’d been living with Tony, Peter still looked almost the same as he had when they’d first met but his hair was getting longer and the chubbiness of his cheeks were thinning out and Tony was suddenly met with the realisation that the kid was growing up. Tony tried to ignore how that made him sad.

“No buddy, lice can’t kill you,” Tony rubbed a thumb across Peter’s cheek from where he was kneeling in front of the kid. “We just gotta wash your hair and put some special cream on.”

Helping Peter to wash his hair turned out to be an ordeal in itself. Tony held the shower nozzle in his hand, helping to wet the kid’s locks before applying shampoo and conditioner. By the time they were down and Peter’s head was slathered in conditioner, Tony had almost as much water on him than Peter did.

Tony sighed as he directed Peter out of the bathroom to sit on his bed, the silk sheets getting wet as the kid plopped himself down on them. He turned on the TV, Spongebob’s annoying laugh once again filling the room, as Tony began to run a comb throw Peter’s hair to pluck out the lice and eggs. It was rather disgusting in Tony’s opinion and he could see why now his parents had decided it was the nanny’s job. He wanted nothing more than to hire someone on the spot to do the gross job of capturing all the dead lice.

But he’d promised to be better than his parents, so Tony continued to run the comb through Peter’s hair no matter how much he didn’t want to. He smiled as he listened to the kid giggle, eyes fixed on the screen where Spongebob was annoying the shit out of Squidward. There was something wholesomely domestic about sitting on the bed, running a comb through Peter’s hair as a child’s cartoon played in the background. It was something he’d never shared with either of his parents and Tony was hit with the desire to know why.

Parenting was hard, that Tony knew. It had only been a few months but in that time he’d faced numerous temper tantrums, refusals to sleep and one stomach bug when Peter had thrown up once but been fine after a short nap. Being a parent wasn’t all the glitz and glam the media showed it to be and Tony couldn’t see how his own parents had been able to escape all the gross and hard bits. Each time Tony had been sick or upset as a child, it hadn’t been Maria or Howard who’d comforted him. In fact, Tony was pretty sure he’d been raised by mostly faceless nannies until he’d been old enough to be of use to Howard and his company.

Tony didn’t know they’d managed to escape all of it, only ever being present for family outings to galas or pictures in front of the press. One thing Tony did know was that no matter how hard or gross things became with Peter, he would still be there through the good and bad. He wouldn’t give up having to run a comb through the kid’s hair to get rid of his lice (even though it was disgusting) for anything in the world simply because sitting there with the comb in his hand was part of the father criteria and Tony was determined to tick every box.

“Alright kiddo, all done,” Tony placed the comb down as he lead Peter back to the shower. Once again, he was splashed in lukewarm water as he washed all the conditioner out.

“Sir,” JARVIS spoke up as Tony used a towel to dry the kid’s hair. “I believe Ms Potts left something for you on the table before she left.”

“You stay here Pete,” Tony placed the kid back on the bed where he happily went back to watching his cartoon. “I’ll be back in a second.”

When Tony found the small bag Pepper had left on the side for him, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes with a small smile. Inside the pharmacy bag was a small bottle of lotion to kill lice. It was such a Pepper thing to do to have brought him the stuff he needed, especially after he’d refused to accept the kid could even have lice.

“Hey J,” he called out as he brought the bottle back to his bedroom where Peter was still watching TV. “Don’t let me forget to thank Pepper the next time i see her.”

“Of course, sir.”

“You ready for the final step, buddy?” Tony wrapped an arm around the kid so he could lift him off the bed where his poor silk sheets were slowly getting ruined. Pepper would probably flip if she saw how his over $1,000 bedsheets were now soaking wet and had conditioner glops staining them.

Peter didn’t even reply as he let Tony apply the lotion, putting a waterproof cap on his head so it could stay in and work its magic. “Is it down now?” Peter sounded bored, his head craning to try and see the TV.

“Yeah buddy all done,” Tony smirked at him, watching with amusement as Peter sprinted straight to the bed, trying to pull himself up so he could watch Spongebob. The billionaire chuckled to himself as Peter finally managed to get on the bed, once again fixed on the screen.

Tony sighed, if you can’t beat them you may as well join them. He sat down next to Peter on the bed, trying not to loose his mind each time Spongebob laughed. Peter immediately snuggled into Tony’s side, the waterproof cap crinkling as he pressed his face against the elder man’s torso. 

Yeah, Tony thought, parenting was hard but it sure was rewarding.


	4. A 3 Month Wait; 6 years old

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to do a Peter POV of the 3 months Tony was in Afghanistan :) Next chapter will be about meeting Aunt Nat :)

Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.

Peter never let his eyes fall from the door. May and Ben’s apartment floor was scratchy, the carpet all rugged and harsh against his exposed skin. Indents were getting harder on his flesh with every second but Peter didn’t care. He couldn’t move from his spot on the floor, eyes staring intrusively at the door as he waited. All he could do was wait.

Tony had said 3 days. 3 days and then he would be back home, reading Peter bedtime stories and tickling him until Peter literally couldn’t take it anymore. 3 days of staying with Ben and May in New York before he was back in sunny California where they could swim in their Mansion pool and soak in the hot weather. 3 days of being patient before his Dad came home.

That had been 2 weeks ago. 

On the day that the 3rd day, the day Tony was meant to have come home, Peter had been ready to leave. His bag had been packed, Mr Bear had been clenched in his fist and he’d woken up super early just so he knew that when Tony came home, he would definitely be ready for him. But then the day had gotten later and later, dinner had rolled around and then suddenly Peter was going back to bed in the small room Ben and May had set up with his Dad no where in sight.

Pepper had visited a few days after the 3rd day had ended, her eyes had been red and puffy and she’d looked a lot like Peter when he was finished with one of his tantrums. But that had been stupid, Peter decided, because Pepper was an adult and adult didn’t have tantrums. She’d said something about Tony being lost, promising Peter that they were doing all they could to find him but for the mean time, Peter would have to stay with his Aunt (or was it his grand-niece?) and Uncle. 

“Peter?” May called out gently, her voice hitching slightly when she noticed where Peter was again. Everyday he sat facing the door, listening only to the sound of the clock tick and for the door handle to rattle. He sat there on the harsh carpet, never moving, as he waited for Tony to come and get him. Because Tony would be coming back— Peter was sure of it. He’d said 3 days.

“It’s time for bed, bud,” Ben added in, standing behind his wife with a concerned look. Peter seemed so fixed on the door, waiting and waiting for Tony to walk back into his life, that neither of them were sure if the 6 year old had even heard what they’d said.

“5 more minutes,” Peter grumbled, his voice was drowned out in sleep and the yawn he let loose a second later sealed his fate. Still, despite his obvious fatigue and the way his eyes were starting to fall shut, he refused to move from his spot. Every second he was away from watching the door was a second he could lose in seeing Tony when he came back. The last thing Peter wanted was for Tony to walk through the door and not be greeted by Peter— what if Tony thought Peter hadn’t missed him?

“Come on buddy,” Ben stepped closer. They all knew Peter would fall asleep facing the door if he could but having the kid sleep on the rugged carpet and get carpet burns all night wasn’t something either Ben or May wanted. And Pepper would be displeased when she came over for her weekly visit to check up on her boss’ son.

“No!” Peter practically yelled when Ben stepped even closer, ready to pull the 6 year old up into his arms. It was the same every night: Peter would camp out watching the door like a hawk, Ben would step forward to put the boy to bed, Peter would scream about not wanting to go and then eventually, after a lot of tears and yelling, Peter would give into his fatigue and sleep through the night— only for the process to happen again the next day. It had been like this ever since the first few days after Tony had missed his promised day back. When Peter stopped thinking that Tony was just late and the idea of him actually being missing sunk in.

“This is so unfair,” May whispered later that night when Peter had finally cried himself to sleep, Mr Bear hugged to his chest as he sobbed, as she sat across the kitchen table from her husband. “After everything Peter’s been through, he doesn’t need this.” She shook her head and thought about the boy she’d met almost 2 years ago, remembering her shock and anguish when her grandmother explained that the little 4 year old boy she’d been hugging was in actuality her missing son. She remembered giving Tony her blessing to raise the boy, knowing that her grandmother wouldn’t pick lightly when it came to her Peter’s guardian.

“Tony will be fine,” Ben had just sighed even if he didn’t believe the words himself. It had now been 2 weeks since Tony had meant to be back and every single day came and went the same. There was still no news on the missing billionaire and no ransom videos had yet to be released, meaning the chances of Tony actually still being alive looked slim.

But if anyone could do the impossible, it was Tony Stark.

——————

“Have you found anything yet?” Peter whispered the second his Uncle Rhodey came shuffling in to Ben and May’s apartment, a small frown on his face. Peter was, yet again, sitting on the floor watching the door as he looked over his Uncle walk in. Mr Bear was squished into his chest and at this point, every adult was aware of the fact that the teddy was a part of Peter now. The toy and Peter were one.

“Nothing yet, kiddo,” Rhodey knelt down, a sad look in his eye as he scanned Peter’s face. In the month and a half that Tony had been declared officially missing, the kid had changed a lot. He looked skinner than before, the lack of eating finally catching up to him, and his eyes had darker bags from the amount of sleepless nights. There was also a glassy look in Peter’s eyes, making it look like he was ready to cry at any given moment. He probably was.

“Are you still looking?”

“Of course Peter,” Rhodey frowned at the thought of ever giving up. It seemed impossible; he was pretty sure his body would be unable to ever rest until he was able to find his best friend. And if that meant he was out there looking around Afghanistan until the day his hair went grey and his heart gave out, then so be it.

“I want him to come home,” Peter pouted, a few tears slipping down his cheek’s. Pepper had mentioned something about making Peter go see a child psychologist and in that moment, Rhodey agreed without hesitation. The broken look in Peter’s eyes as he cried, sitting on the carpet with indents on his skin from not moving in hours, Rhodey knew what true sadness looked like. 

“I do too buddy,” he pulled Peter into his arms, letting his head rest on Rhodey’s shoulder and pressing Peter as close to himself as possible. “I do too,” he whispered once more. They sat there in each other’s embrace, not saying anything, for what felt like hours. The weight of loss for someone who meant so much to the both of them was like a dark cloud over the apartment: raining down its misery until all that was left were their feelings of grief.

“I do too,” Rhodey mumbled one last time. He wouldn’t be able to stop until he brought Tony back to his son.

——————

“Daddy’s dead, isn’t he?” Peter muttered one afternoon when Pepper had flown out to New York. With Tony gone, her job load had increased significantly to the point that she hardly had a second to spare. Hence why Peter was staying with Ben and May and not her. 

But despite her busy schedule and no free time, she’d pushed things back so she could make a trip down to New York to come see her boss’ son. Being the only constant female figure in Peter’s life, it meant a lot to the young boy when she came down to see them. They were currently walking through Central Park, Happy tailing behind them at a leisurely pace, eating ice cream. A normal activity in the sea of brokenness the past two months had been.

“What?” Pepper wasn’t sure what shocked her more: Peter’s use of calling Tony Daddy or his child-like bluntness at something that could very well be the truth.

“He’s dead,” Peter liked his ice cream glumly, no tears falling down his face this time as he came to peace with the truth. Tony had promised 3 days 2 months ago, everyone kept saying he was lost and each time Uncle Rhodey visited, he seemed to get sadder and sadder. 

Pepper knelt down, her bare knees hitting the grass as she stared at Peter with tears shining through her eyes. “You’ve never called him Daddy before,” she whispered. In the almost 2 years that Peter had been living in Malibu with Tony (and by extension, Pepper) she’d never heard him call Tony that before. He was always just Tony, the father like figure who was never addressed as such. It seemed to break her heart that it was only after Tony was gone that Peter started calling him for what he was.

“Not to his face,” Peter shrugged, pausing in eating his ice cream as he noticed the tears in his Aunt’s eyes. “Do you think he would have wanted me to call him that?”

Tony was a complex man, that Pepper knew for a fact. He was the kind of guy to get blackout drunk and sleep with three models in one night. He was the kind of guy to refuse being handed things. He was the kind of guy who didn’t show up to work for a week straight despite his face being plastered across news reports about his partying exploits.

But he was also the kind of guy who adopted his godmother’s son and raised him with the amount of love and happiness that the kid deserved.

Tony was a complex man, sure, but when it came to Peter: he was simple. Pepper knew, without a doubt, that Tony would’ve loved it (even if he’d been terrified as well) if Peter had called him Daddy just once, to his face. He never would’ve pushed it but if it had happened, Pepper was sure the smile that would’ve taken over his face would’ve been infectious.

“Yeah Peter,” Pepper nodded, trying to stop herself from breaking down. She needed to be a rock in the hard times when Tony wasn’t here. “He would’ve loved it.”

——————

Peter sat on his mother’s lap for what seemed like hours, her wrinkled arms wrapped around him like a blanket as they soaked in each other’s embrace. His face was pressed into her chest and hers was in his hair. May was pottering around in the kitchen, the fatigue of a long flight from New York to England meaning a cup of tea was in order.

“How are you holding up?” Peggy brushed some hair out of Peter’s face, leaning back so she could see his face properly. In the few short years since they’d been reunited, ageing had really caught up to her. The wrinkles on her face were deeper, her eyes seemed more sunken and there was more of a frailness to her withering body. Despite it all, her brown eyes were still the exact same as Peter remembered.

“I want him to come home,” Peter sniffled. In the warmth of his mother’s embrace, it was almost easier to accept the loss of someone who had become his father. But the second he went back to New York, Peter knew his heart would open up again with the sense of loss for both Peggy and Tony. Two parental figures, both snatched from him and dangled just out of reach.

“I’m sure he wants to come home to you too,” Peggy muttered against Peter’s forehead as she placed a sad kiss there. Her hands shook slightly, the stretched out skin wobbling as she tightened her embrace. There was something in her eyes, a sort of gleam, that shined every now and then. Peggy was becoming more and more confused each time Peter visited, always muttering things under her breath and seeming lost. 

“Do you think Daddy will come back?” 

“Daddy?” Peggy paused for a second, taking in Peter’s words. Never in her life, sadly, had Peter had a daddy. Back before the kidnapping, she’d been too busy to properly date and with Steve gone, the chances of Peter having someone to call daddy seemed slim. Even when she’d asked Tony to take in her son, she hadn’t expected him to become Daddy to Peter.

It seemed oddly fitting.

“I hope so,” Peggy smiled at her son after the shock wore off. If anyone could survive the inevitable torture that Tony was no doubt going through, she knew it would be her godson. And if not . . . Peggy didn’t want to think about how that meant Peter had lost two fathers in his impossibly short (or in reality, long) life.

——————

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Daddy, happy birthday to you,” Peter sung as softly as he could. There was a cupcake with one lone candle in front of him, flickering in the wind as he sung. The sky outside was dark, the clock only having just turned past midnight on May 29. Ben and May were fast asleep, unaware of Peter pottering around in the kitchen, having stolen one of May’s freshly baked cupcakes and broken the rule of playing with fire to light the candle.

“You’re 38 today Daddy,” Peter whispered as he watched the candle flicker in front of him. He held the cupcake gently in his chubby hands, peering at the moving light as if it were the person he wanted the most. “You’re so old!”

“I really miss you,” Peter carried on. There was no other light in the room apart from Peter’s small candle in his hand as he sat in his usual spot by the door. After 3 months of waiting, Peter was starting to lose hope. His head told him that his Daddy was dead, having never even been able to call him that to his face, but his heart told him not to give up just yet. Peter wasn’t sure what to listen to.

“Please come home,” he whispered, the glow of the candle illuminating the door as Peter waited and waited. His mummy had said something years and years and years ago now about how if you wished really hard and prayed really well, then sometimes miracles would happen. Peter wasn’t an expert but even at 6 years old— almost 7— he knew the fact that he’d come back to his mummy must’ve been a miracle in her eyes. So maybe his Daddy coming back to him after 3 months of being gone would be a miracle to Peter?

“I need you,” Peter let a few tears slip down his cheeks as he blew out the candle, the hallway to the door once again getting bathed in darkness. He shuffled up against the wall, watching the dark blob of the door with drooping eyes as he waited. There had never been anything that Peter wanted more than for his Daddy to walk through the door at that very second.

——————

“Peter! Peter wake up!” May’s voice cut through his sleep-addled brain, a hand on his shoulder shaking with insistence. “Peter!” There was something warning about her tone that made the young boy sit up from where he’d fallen asleep against the wall.

“May?” Peter yawned, frowning when her face came into his vision. She was already dressed despite the obviously early hour, her clothes looking like they’d been thrown on and her face pulled down into a worried look. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot as if she’d been crying.

“Peter you need to get up,” Ben came hurrying in, carrying the large suitcase that Peter came with 3 months ago when his 3 day wait for his Dad had ended up extending far longer. “Come on buddy, up, up, up.”

“What’s going on?” Peter picked himself up, ignoring how his bones ached as he pushed himself to his feet. The clock on the wall read that it was only 7am so it made no sense as to why both Ben and May were rushing around, putting all his clothes together and acting as if something major had happened.

“Peter it’s your Dad,” May had gotten used to calling Tony that now. After a month of Peter only ever calling Tony Daddy, it seemed natural to just go along with it. “They’ve found him.”

“Is he okay?” Peter swallowed hard, every feeling of panic and pain he’d been trying to push down when his head told him that his Daddy must be dead by now because no one could be lost for this long without something had happening to them— Peter had been lost for 55 years and when he’d come back, his mummy was now elderly and frail. When his Daddy came back, was Peter going to be old and wrinkly too?

Please, please, please let his Daddy be okay.

“He’s alive Peter,” May looked ready to cry as she nodded, a wavering smile spread across her face. “He’s going to be just fine.”

——————

By the time Peter, Ben and May arrived in Malibu, Tony had already been home for half an hour. From what Peter had gathered from the call Ben got in the car on their way back home, there was something going on about a conference his Dad had already called and something about the weapons contract being revoked— whatever that meant. Peter didn’t care about any of that though. 

He just wanted to see his Daddy. After 3 months of waiting by his front door just so he could see his Dad the second he got back, Peter had already missed him coming home.

Peter’s little feet were already out of the car before the driver had even come to a stop outside the Malibu Mansion. The blistering heat, a far cry from New York’s mild weather, burned on Peter’s skin as he raced away from the fancy car and towards the door of the home he’d missed with all his heart. The entire ride Peter had been unable to stay still, every bone in his body buzzing with the knowledge that soon he’d be back with his Dad.

3 months had never felt so long in Peter’s life.

“Peter, wait!” May called as they tried to hurry out of the car but Peter wasn’t listening. Their calls and attempts to catch up with him faded to nothing because at that moment, the front door to the Malibu Mansion opened and standing there, in the doorway with a look of sadness mixed in with happiness, was Tony: Peter’s Dad.

He looked different to how Peter remembered, far skinnier with one arm in a sling and several cuts and bruises littering his face. There were dark bags under his eyes, making Tony’s face look gaunt and haunted but the way his eyes shined as he looked at Peter made him look suddenly refreshed. A small smile was on his face; it was one of the genuine ones that only Peter, Pepper or Rhodey ever managed to see. It was the real Tony Stark shining through, looking at Peter like he was the water to a man starved with thirst.

“Hey Petey,” Tony’s voice broke slightly as they both stopped and paused, watching each other like they were afraid of the other. 

Peter couldn’t help the large smile that grew over his face as he realised for the first time in 3 months that his Dad was back. His Daddy was alive and he was home— just like he should be.

“Daddy!” Peter screeched, once again rushing forward, crashing into Tony’s arms as the man ducked down to wrap him up in his embrace. Peter pressed his face into Tony’s neck, nudging his head into the skin so he could get all the comfort he could. Tony, himself, seemed to be squeezing the life out of Peter, holding his body as close as he could. 

“Daddy, i missed you so much,” Peter started to cry, sobbing into Tony’s neck as he pushed himself closer and closer until there was no space between their two bodies. 

“Did you just call me . . .?” Tony trailed off, sounding choked up as he ran a hand through Peter’s curls. “I missed you too Petey, so much more.”

“Impossible.”

“If you say so,” Tony chuckled lightly, looking up to see Ben and May hovering not too far away. May was crying silently as she watched the pair interact. Ben had an arm wrapped around his wife, smiling as he watched father and son. He would have to thank them graciously later for taking Peter in when he was gone.

“Peter,” Tony kissed the kid’s head, pulling back slightly so he could see Peter’s face when he spoke. “I need you to know how much i love you.” He was never a touchy-feely guy and emotional talks always made Tony want to gag but the effects of spending 3 months in a cave, thinking he would never see his son again, were still shining bright in his mind.

Don’t waste your life, Yinsen had said. 

“Because i do, so, so much,” Tony used his thumb to wipe away at the kid’s tears, smiling sadly at him. For 3 months, Tony never thought he’d get this again. “You’re my son.”

“You’re my Daddy,” Peter sniffled in understanding, closing the distance again so he could press his face into Tony’s neck again. “I love you too,” he mumbled, the vibrations of Peter’s words sending chills down the elder man’s spine.

3 months in a cave. 3 months of not seeing Peter and not knowing if the kid was okay or not. 3 months of torture and nasty men speaking in different languages as they forced Tony to make a weapon with the power to kill thousands of innocents. 3 months of talking to Yinsen, finally realising that family was worth a million more than anything money could buy.

3 months of pain finally ended when Peter was in his arms, the warmth of the kid’s body heating up his now damaged heart.

Yinsen had spoken a lot about legacy whilst cooped up in that cave. Here and now, with Peter’s tears soaking into his neck and the feel of his curls running through Tony’s fingers, Tony realised that this right here was his legacy. Peter was his future.

The only future that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can anyone PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE point me in a direction of a good Iron Dad fic with Justin Hammer in it?? i watched IM2 the other day and realised how much i love Justin Hammer and really wanna read something Iron Dad related with him just annoying the hell out of Tony


	5. A Broken Bone; 6 years old

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set post-Iron Man 1 but before Iron Man 2
> 
> I want to focus on Aunt Nat for the Iron Man 2 chapter so i added this one in to show Tony's PTSD and mental suffering post Afghanistan so i could mostly skip the whole 'peter feels rejected' in the IM2 events
> 
> Enjoy :)

Peter had known for weeks that something was wrong with his Dad. It had just been little hints at first, such as staying longer in the lab, tinkering with Iron Man suits for hours on end; which then grew into bigger problems that both Uncle Rhodey and Aunt Pepper grew exasperated over. His Dad was skipping meals, enjoyed a drink and hardly slept.

Peter knew he would be lying if he didn’t say he was worried. 

It had only been a few weeks since his Dad came home from Afghanistan, the two of them meeting at the door to exchange hugs and I Love Yous. Only a few weeks since Peter started calling Tony Dad but it seemed to fit perfectly.

“Is Dad okay?” Peter didn’t waste any time as he watched his Uncle Rhodey walk up the stairs from the lab where his Dad was no doubt wasting away. Peter didn’t really understand why all the adults were so hesitant to give him information about his Dad; he was almost 7 years old now! It wasn’t like Peter was a kid nor dumb!

Uncle Rhodey sighed in a long-suffering way, the same way Tony did whenever Peter asked question after question about random things with no promise of stopping. “I don’t know kiddo,” at least the answer was honest, Peter thought.

“Is it because he went away for 3 months?” As much as Peter tried to hide it, the fear was evident in his voice. Even though it hadn’t been him who’d been kidnapped by the Ten Rings, Peter still lived in slight fear of the terrorist group who’d held his Dad hostage for 3 months. It was like they were lurking over their shoulders, putting his Dad in a constant bad mood and waiting to jump up and snatch Peter too.

“Yeah buddy,” Uncle Rhodey sat down on the sofa beside Peter, pulling the kid closer against his side. Peter liked it when they sat like this, he always just seemed to fit perfectly into Uncle Rhodey’s side. His Dad normally smiled when they sat like this too, like he watching something he’d never thought he’d get play out right in front of him.

“Is he having bad dreams?” 

“Yeah, i think so,” Rhodey sighed, thinking back to the bags under Tony’s eyes and the twenty cups of finished coffee he’d had surrounding his workstation. To say Tony was coping unhealthily with his post-abduction was an understatement. 

“Does he need a Peter cuddle?” He used the affectionate term Aunt Pepper always said to describe a hug that seemed to make everyone smile. Peter didn’t really see why it was such a big thing, all he’d do was wrap his arms around someones waist and immediately they’d smile. He just thought it was a normal hug but Aunt Pepper insisted that Peter cuddles were what made the world turn round.

“Maybe not right now,” Uncle Rhodey admitted. Judging by the half drunk bottle of whiskey he’d also found beside the dozens of coffee mugs, he guessed now wasn’t a good time for his little nephew to go down and see his Dad. “How about we watch a movie instead?”

“Okay,” Peter shrugged. As much as he trusted his Uncle, he still wanted to go down and see his Dad. It seemed like he hadn’t seen him in weeks, especially after the whole Obadiah Stane incident and his Dad revealing to the world that he was a superhero (which was super cool!)

“But Peter cuddles later, yeah?” He snuggled into Uncle Rhodey’s side as JARVIS started playing a random Disney film. Peter knew his Uncle Rhodey hated Disney movies with a passion but he also loved Peter so he didn’t even complain as the title sequence to a Princess movie started to play.

“Yeah buddy,” Uncle Rhodey ran a hand through Peter’s hair. “Your Dad will need a million Peter cuddles later.”

——————

Peter stood outside his Dad’s bedroom, twisting his feet on the carpet as he debated what he should do. He could hear the sound of his Dad’s bedsheets twisting in the room in front of him and judging by the pitiful noises, the cause was due to a nightmare. He’d woken up only a few minutes earlier to the sound of his Dad’s cry and all Peter wanted to do was go in and hug the man.

He wasn’t sure why he felt so nervous as his fingers brushed the door handle, pushing the door open so he could step inside his Dad’s room. It was dark and slightly scary but Peter could recognise the lump that was his Dad in the middle of the large bed. 

His Dad was twisting and turning, body shaking as he whined and let out tiny cries. Peter bit his lip as he stepped forward, anxiety coursing through him. Should he wake his Dad or should he just go back to bed?

In the end, Peter reached out a shaky hand and gently nudged Tony’s shoulder. Every time Peter had a nightmare, Tony had always been there with reassurances and a gentle hand so Peter decided now was the time to repay the man.

When his Dad didn’t wake immediately, Peter shook his shoulder a little harder. “Dad? Dad?”

Tony’s eyes bolted open, his breath catching in his throat as he seemed to jump back a little bit. Peter tried to hold in a surprised cry as he retreated his hand, waiting for his Dad’s eyes to adjust to the darkness and see it was just him and no one to be afraid of.

“Peter?” Tony’s voice was croaky due to sleep, one hand coming up to rub at his eyes as his breathing calmed down and his entire body relaxed. “What’s up, buddy?”

Peter wasn’t sure if his Dad was trying to play it cool or he didn’t even know he’d been having a nightmare just 10 seconds prior. Either way, Peter decided to humour him.

“I had a bad dream,” Peter lied, sticking his lip out in a pout to make it more believable. He’d actually been having a really nice dream where he went out for ice cream with his Dad and Mom. They’d all been laughing and his Dad actually seemed happy for the first time in weeks. His Mom had also been 50 years younger, her hair once again brown and the wrinkles gone from her face. 

Tony had brought Peter about a million ice creams as they’d just sat in a parlour and laughed. Peter’s hand had been in his Mom’s and each time Tony made a joke, his Mom’s hand would squeeze his.

It had felt so real.

“Oh no buddy,” Tony pulled on his ‘Dad’s gonna make it better face’ as he shuffled over, patting the now vacant side of the bed for Peter to climb up on. He didn’t need to pat the space twice before Peter was laying under the warm sheets, snuggling into his Dad’s arms. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Peter shook his head, wondering if he should ask his Dad the same question. “Are you okay Dad?”

It was too dark for Peter to see Tony’s face but he felt his Dad’s body stiffen up for a second. “Why you asking, kid?”

“You just seem different,” it was a simple answer to something Peter knew was far more complicated. Sometimes it was like his Dad had reverted back to a time before he’d adopted Peter: drinking during the day and spending every waking hour down in the lab. The man had come back from Afghanistan completely different and Peter was still trying to decide if that was a good or bad thing.

“I don’t know what you mean, kiddo,” Tony’s voice was strained as he tried to lie but Peter saw through it.

“I don’t mean Iron Man, Dad,” Peter clarified. He guessed the one good thing about his Dad going away for those 3 months was the fact he came back as a superhero (but Peter would happily give up having a superhero Dad if it meant he got the old Tony back). “I mean the fact you don’t eat or sleep anymore.”

His Dad paused for a second before brushing some hair out of Peter’s face with gentle fingers. He kissed Peter’s temple, doing something only his Dad could do best: deflect the question. “How do you feel about Iron Man, kiddo? I never really asked for your opinion before revealing my identity to the world.”

Peter wanted to roll his eyes; the reason his opinion hadn’t been asked was because his Dad wasn’t meant to tell the world. He still remembered how angry his Aunt Pepper and some SHIELD guy called Coulson had been after the press conference. They’d both yelled at Peter’s Dad for what seemed like hours, telling him he’d made a big mistake.

But Tony had just brushed it off, opting to pick Peter up (despite Peter insisting he was a big boy) and state he was going for a cheeseburger to quell a ‘superhero’s appetite’.

“I think it’s cool,” Peter spoke honestly. It really was cool to have your Dad be a hero who saved the world, he couldn’t wait for all the bragging rights and ‘well did your Dad ever save the world? no? well mine did’. “You’re badass.”

Tony chuckled, pinching Peter’s nose lightly. “Where ever did you pick up such vocabulary?”

“Duh,” Peter rolled his eyes, smirking into his Dad’s chest. “You.”

His Dad faked a gasp, leaning back slightly. “Treachery from my own son?”

Peter couldn’t help but laugh at his Dad’s antics, feeling like they were finally acting like normal. There were no distractions or bad moods or empty coffee cups between them. It was just Peter and Tony, peace settled around them.

“I missed you,” Peter sniffled into his Dad’s top. It seemed like they could never catch a break: between the 3 month period where his Dad was ripped away from him to the whole Obadiah Stane incidents and then now with his Dad locking himself away for practically the whole day, Peter felt like he hadn’t had this level of casual calm with his Dad in months. He missed how peaceful this moment felt without the Ten Rings lurking over their shoulders or Iron Man hovering between them.

“I’m right here, buddy.”

“No you aren’t,” Peter couldn’t help the tears that escaped his eyes. He was almost 7 years old, he had no idea why he was crying— he was meant to be a big boy! “You spend all your time down in the labs and Aunt Pepper keeps saying things about you ‘emptying more and more bottles’ and Uncle Rhodey seems really worried. He even said that Peter cuddles wouldn’t even work.”

“Well Uncle Rhodey’s a liar,” Tony tried to keep his voice light. “Peter cuddles always work.”

“Can we hang out tomorrow?” Peter hated how his voice was so whiny but he tried to ignore it. “Just us?”

Tony squeezed Peter into a hug, pressing his chin on Peter’s crown. “How about we go to the park together? Solo papà e figlio.”

“Perfezionare,” Peter nodded, snuggling closer into his Dad’s side as he closed his eyes. His nightmares always went away when his Dad held him so Peter hoped he could scare away all his Dad’s nightmares too.

——————

They’d been in the park for little over an hour and Peter was already bored. All the excitement he’d felt waking up that morning in his Dad’s bed had faded away by now. When Tony had suggested going the park together, Peter had envisioned the two of them playing and running around like they usually did. 

Instead, his Dad was sitting on a park bench, alternating between texting on his phone and dazing off into the distance. Numerous times Peter had run over to his Dad and begged him to come play but each time Tony shook his head sadly and said: “Maybe in a minute, kiddo.”

Now that Peter could see his Dad in the daylight, he realised just how bad the guy looked. His cheeks looked more gaunt and there were dark bags under his eyes. The bruises and cuts from his fight with Stane had mostly cleared now but there was still a cut on Tony’s nose that stood out in the harsh daylight. 

His Dad was also extremely jittery. Constantly looking over his shoulder and sitting on the park bench with a back so straight that Peter wondered if it hurt his Dad’s spine. His hands were shaking in his lap slightly too, like he was preparing to jump up any second and fight some imaginary bad guy.

Peter sighed as he eyed a tall tree in front of him. His Dad had said he wasn’t allowed to climb up trees without someone watching him (ever since Peter had almost broken his neck one time when he’d been 5 because he’d climbed too high and slipped; if Happy hadn’t been there to catch him, Peter didn’t even know what he’d be doing now). Technically though, his Dad was watching him. Sure, he was currently staring at his phone and paying Peter no attention but he was still there.

He climbed up the tree with a sense of rebellion pulsing through him, knowing that what he was doing would most likely make his Dad mad. It wasn’t like Peter wanted to get in trouble but if it meant his Dad would get up off that park bench and actually engage then Peter would take any and all punishments.

He was just about to place his foot onto a smaller branch when his Dad’s cry suddenly echoed around the park. “PETER!” A small smile found it’s way onto Peter’s face as he spotted his Dad stand up from the park bench, a look of both anger and worry written across his features.

That smile disappeared when the smaller branch suddenly broke under his foot, sending Peter’s body toppling towards the ground. He let out a scream as he fell, hating how fast he was plummeting towards the lumpy ground below. His Dad was yelling his name, no doubt rushing towards him, but all Peter could hear was the rush of the wind as he fell down.

He hit the ground with a loud thud, landing on his left arm with a loud crunch and a scream of pain. His arm was burning and Peter couldn’t hold in the tears that ran down his cheeks as he sobbed. It hurt so much—

“Peter?” Tony sounded frantic as he dropped down onto the ground, hands shaking as he pulled Peter’s body up and into his arms. He cradled Peter’s head for a second, hands gently checking his scalp for any serious injuries. “Where does it hurt buddy? Tell me where it hurts.”

“M-my arm!” Peter cried, his right arm moving up to gently hold his left shoulder as he continued to sob. The pain was like fire running up and down limb, the skin sending vibrations of agony through him each time he went to touch the area around his elbow.

“This arm?” Tony’s eyes were wide as he ducked his head down to take a look at the arm Peter was sobbing about. “Oh buddy, i think its broken.” 

“It h-hurts!” 

“I know Petey,” Tony pressed a kiss to Peter’s crown, holding him a second longer before helping to pull Peter into a standing position. “Let’s get you to the Hospital, kiddo. Come on.”

The drive to the Hospital was frantic to say the least; between Tony’s speeding and Peter’s loud crying, the ride was not fun. They wove in and out of traffic as an unsettling silence settled between the pair.

“This is why i said not to climb trees without supervision, buddy,” Tony’s voice was tight like he was trying to hold in his anger. His fingers were white as they held the steering wheel in a death grip. He was trying his best not to jolt Peter’s arm despite weaving in and out of traffic lanes.

“Y-you were meant t-to be watching,” Peter sniffled, holding his left shoulder as tears rolled down his cheeks. They were hot and tasted salty each time they ran down into the crevice of his mouth. “W-why weren’t y-you watching m-me?”

His Dad seemed to have no reply, instead keeping his eyes on the road with growing fascination. Tony’s lips, however, pulled into a grimace.

Peter wasn’t sure why he asked but the words seemed to slip out. He didn’t know if it was the pain in his arm that spurred him on or if it was the growing fear of Tony pushing him away. 

“D-do you still w-want me?”

“What?” His Dad twisted his head to stare at Peter so fast Peter swore he could hear Tony’s neck click. His Dad’s eyes were wide and filled with pain, the bags underneath making him look like he’d just seen a ghost. “Peter, what are you on about?”

“Y-you’re not the s-same,” Peter sobbed, pressing his face into the seat’s leather. He tried to keep his breaths even despite the hysteria circling up around him. The muscle in his arm still burned, going a dark colour as he sobbed. “You l-lock yourself in t-the lab and drink a-a lot. Y-you hardly sp-spend time w-with me an-anymore. D-do you regret a-adopting me?”

Tony let out a long-suffering sigh just like Uncle Rhodey had yesterday. One hand was released from the wheel to run down his face. He gave Peter a quick look, eyes sparkling with pain at seeing his son crying and holding his broken arm.

They weren’t too far from the Hospital now.

“Buddy—“

“I-It’s okay i-if you don’t w-want me,” Peter cried. It broke his heart at the idea of his Dad giving him up but he didn’t want to make Tony feel bad.

“Kid—“

“S-seriously T-Tony, i w-wont f-fuss.” He hadn’t called his Dad Tony in weeks now and despite the term Dad being rather new, Peter hated how Tony sounded now. It just didn’t fit right on his tongue anymore. Dad was Dad and if he didn’t want Peter then Peter didn’t know what he would do.

“Peter!” Tony glanced at him quickly, eyes still mostly on the road. “Enough! Of course i want you! And don’t ever call me Tony again— I’m Dad, okay? Always Dad.” He sighed heavily. “I’m so sorry buddy; about today and the last few weeks— i’m just . . . struggling, kiddo.”

“B-because of the 3 months g-gone?” 

“Yeah kiddo, it was scary and i don’t really know what to do to move on from it. I never meant to make you feel like i didn’t want to spend time with you, i just reverted back to the best way i knew how to hide my problems.”

“B-being in the l-lab?” Peter could see the Hospital now as his Dad drove faster and faster to get there. His arm was still screaming with pain so he was grateful it wouldn’t be too long now.

“Yeah buddy, the lab is calming for me,” his Dad admitted. “But do you know what is even more calming?” He parked the car outside the Hospital, wasting no time in rushing out of the car to open Peter’s door. Gently, Tony lifted Peter into his arms, warmth rushing up his chest as his kid snuggled his nose into the crook of his neck. Even with Peter’s tears running down his skin, it felt right to hold Peter like this.

“W-what?” Peter cried as Tony rushed him inside the Hospital, wary of his broken arm.

“Peter cuddles,” Tony kissed the side of Peter’s head as they raced to the Emergency Room. “I could never regret adopting you Pete— never.”

“Never ever?”

“Never ever.”

Despite the burning ache in Peter’s arm, he couldn’t help but feel happy as he snuggled into his Dad’s neck. Things weren’t perfect right now and Peter didn’t know how long it would take for his Dad to recover from his 3 months gone but Peter knew he was still loved and that was all that mattered right now.

(He was even happier when the nice Doctor gave him a yellow cast on his arm which his Dad later coloured in with red so Peter could match Iron Man).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didn't realise how long it had been since i updated this part of the story so sorry !!


	6. Auntie Nat; 7 years old

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This sticks very close to Iron Man 2 because i actually love that movie (even though it gets lots of hate) and i think Natasha Romanov is the single best character in the MCU.
> 
> Side note: The MCU timeline is so confusing so i didn't know how long a gap there was between the end of IM1 and the start of IM2 so i made up my own conclusions. In this IM2 takes place just over a year after the end of IM1 and therefore is set a few months after the end of my last chapter when Tony was struggling with what had happened at the end of IM1.
> 
> Enjoy

Peter decided right then and there as he watched the petite red-haired woman flip Happy over onto his back that Natalie Rushman was, by far, the coolest person he’d ever met. She didn’t even seem to break a sweat as she causally extracted herself from where she’d left Happy on the matt, tucking in her shirt as she exited the ring. All Peter could do was watch in awe as his Dad declared it a TKO and rung the bell.

“I need your impression,” Natalie gazed up at Peter’s Dad, reverting back to the sweet sounding woman they’d been introduced too. Peter wasn’t allowed in his Dad’s boxing ring unless he was padded up like a marshmallow but he clung to the ropes as he watched his Dad and Natalie converse.

“You have quite a reserve,” Tony answered instantly, looking just as amazed as Peter felt about the woman. “I don’t know, you have an old soul.” Peter scrunched up his nose wondering why his Dad used that as his compliment.

“I meant your fingerprint,” Natalie smirked as she picked up the files to legally change Aunt Pepper into CEO. His Dad had sat him down the night before and explained it all, explaining what a CEO was and stating that he believed Pepper was a better fit for the job. Peter knew that his Aunt was basically the Boss anyway (she was always telling his Dad and Peter what to do) so he guessed these documents just made Aunt Pepper the legal Boss. Because legality mattered and all that.

Natalie sent Peter a small wink as his Dad pressed his finger into the ink and pointed to the files in Natalie Rushman’s hands. “You’re the Boss.” Peter smiled back at Natalie; he liked it when she smiled, her face seemed to light up and her eyes sparkled.

“Will that be all Mr Stark?” Natalie turned back to Peter’s Dad, batting her eyelids gently as her smile remained fixed on her face. Peter didn’t really listen to what his Dad and Pepper casually bickered about, all he knew was that Natalie was suddenly leaving and Peter didn’t want her to go.

“Wait,” he called after her, rushing around the ring so he could catch up to her. His Dad eyed him curiously, watching like a hawk as Peter caught up with the red-haired woman in the doorway but he didn’t intrude. “Can you teach me the flip you did to Happy?”

Natalie chuckled gently, holding the files close to her chest as she carefully squatted down so she was at Peter’s eye level. At 7 years old now, Peter liked to believe he was finally a grown up (especially because of his birth date) but it seemed where Peter’s year of birth was in the 40s and his IQ was above his years, his physical height had yet to catch on.

“I don’t think your Dad would approve of that,” her mouth twisted up into a half smile, the edges of her lips moving up her cheeks. 

“We wouldn’t have to tell him,” Peter leant in, whispering the words quietly so his suspicious Dad not too far away wouldn’t hear him. He knew trying to keep it a secret wouldn’t work: Peter didn’t really like to believe in secrets when it came to his Dad. Pepper had once tried to help him make a card for Father’s Day one year and Peter hadn’t lasted one hour after the card was completed before he spilled the beans to Tony.

“Something tells me that wouldn’t work,” Natalie poked Peter’s chest lightly, her eyes shining as she smiled at him. “But don’t worry, i’m sure we’ll see each other soon.”

“I hope so!” Peter waved goodbye to her as she carefully stood back up, nodding once to the other adults in the room before walking out the door. All Peter could do was cross his fingers and beg that Natalie wasn’t lying. He hated to think how the coolest person he could’ve ever met would suddenly leave his life less than 15 minutes after meeting her.

——————

Another thing Peter liked about Natalie Rushman was that she wasn’t a liar. Just like she’d promised, she and Peter did see each other very soon after that first encounter. Unlike Aunt Pepper who seemed less than thrilled to see the red-head, Peter was ecstatic.

“Natalie!” Peter almost jumped for joy when he saw the woman again, letting go of his Dad’s hand as he rushed to her side. She was dressed in a dull pink dress and her hair was falling down her back like a waterfall but other than that, Natalie looked the exact same to when Peter last saw her. 

“Hello Peter,” Natalie ruffled his hair playfully, her fingers feeling light against his mop of brown hair. “I told you i’d see you again,” she winked down at him, making his smile grow twice in size.

Normally, Peter wasn’t ever invited to events such as the Grand Prix in Monaco. With loud crowds of fans cheering and taking pictures as Tony got out of the car, Peter’s Dad always tried to hide Peter from the limelight. This time, however, was different.

His Dad had been acting more irrational lately, doing things that he normally wouldn’t on an average day in the Stark life. Like donating his art collect to the Boy Scouts of America and pulling Peter out of school for several days to attend a non-compulsory trip to Monaco to see his Dad’s car race. Not that Peter was complaining (about being pulled out of school). Especially because it seemed his Dad had gone behind Pepper’s back and hired Natalie to be his new assistant. 

“Boy is it nice to see you,” Tony greeted his new assistant as he took a glass of alcohol off the waiter’s tray. That was something else his Dad seemed to have taken up again: drinking. It was casual and never seemed to get out of control but if given the opportunity, his Dad no longer refused drinks. It didn’t matter anyway, before he could even lift it up to his lips, Natalie had taken it out of hand.

Aunt Pepper seemed mad as she whispered to Peter’s Dad something about him being predictable, flaring her nostrils slightly. Peter wasn’t sure why Aunt Pepper seemed to hate Natalie so much (Peter knew that no matter how cool Natalie was, Pepper would always be his favourite). He watched as his Dad and Pepper posed for a picture, still quietly bickering, as Peter stuck to Natalie’s side. Just because his Dad had allowed him to come to the event didn’t mean he liked to broadcast Peter to the world through pictures from the press.

“You look fantastic by the way,” Tony placed a hand on Peter’s shoulder, directing him and Natalie away from the entrance. “But that’s unprofessional.”

“I think you look really pretty,” Peter decided to throw his own two cents in. Jugging by the way his Dad smiled like Christmas came early and Natalie chuckled, they both seemed to like his compliment.

“You’ve been spending too much time around me, kid,” Tony sassed, making Peter frown. What was so wrong with that? “What’s on the docket?” 

“You have a 9:30 dinner,” Natalie replied immediately.

“Perfect, i’ll be there at 11,” Tony didn’t skip a beat as he headed towards a table near the back, right in front of a large window. “Is this us?”

“It can be,” Natalie spoke carefully, like she was trying very hard to be as flexible as possible.

“Great,” Tony nodded. “Make it us. You like the view kiddo?” He ran a hand through Peter’s hair, helping his kid take off the stuffy suit jacket that he knew he hated and placed it over the back of one of the chairs. “You can watch as the cars race past; that sounds like fun, yeah?”

Peter nodded, taking a seat at the table. He stared out the window, looking down at the race track underneath with awe. Peter was never really interested in fast cars like his Dad was; he preferred Star Wars and building LEGO to sports but even Peter couldn’t deny how cool it was sitting there with a perfect view. 

The thing that enraptured him though wasn’t the race track but the crowds of people standing on the other side. They all looked so happy and carefree, laughing and joking with one another as they waited for the race to start. Peter couldn’t tear his eyes away from a small family near the front of the crowd, the Mom and the Dad holding up their two young children, pressing kisses to the sides of their cheeks and listening to their kid’s excited babble.

By the time Peter looked up, his Dad had already moved on. For a second Peter didn’t know where he was until he spotted the blue suit his Dad had asked his opinion on earlier that morning. Peter watched as his Dad and Pepper bickered at the bar before being joined by another man in a tan suit. 

Peter recognised the man instantly: Justin Hammer. His Dad was always complaining about the man, saying he was just a wannabe and that all of Hammer’s tech was just a version of more expensive trash. Peter also knew that Justin Hammer was one of his Dad’s least liked people on Earth.

“Where are you going Peter?” Natalie seemed to have ended her argument with the man previously sat at their table by now, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Peter get up from his seat at the table.

“I’m just going to Dad,” Peter pointed to where his Dad was visibly cringing at whatever Justin Hammer just said. By now, Pepper had left and a woman in a teal dress and short, blonde hair had joined them.

“Don’t wander,” Natalie raised her eyebrows as she watched Peter carefully slip around the array of adults to approach his Dad. The elder man had slipped his sunglasses on, a clear sign of discomfort, but when he saw Peter approach, a smile came across his face anyway.

“Hey kiddo,” he reached out an arm, pulling Peter against his side as if to protect him from how much a nuisance Hammer was turning out to be. The flash a camera almost blinded Peter as he pressed his face into his Dad’s stomach to hide.

“If it isn’t Stark Junior!” Hammer spoke with too much enthusiasm, bending down slight so he was closer in height to Peter. When Natalie did it, Peter thought she was sweet but when Hammer did it, it felt too patronising. Peter glared at the man in response.

“Listen, is this the first time you’ve seen each other since the Senate?” The woman with blonde hair was holding a recorder towards Peter’s Dad and Hammer’s faces.

“Since he got his contract revoked,” Tony shot back as he started to walk away, trying to leave the other two behind him. His hand on Peter’s shoulder tightened gently as he moved towards an empty table. “You wanna sit buddy?” Peter wasn’t sure why they were sitting at a table different to the one his Dad had specifically asked for.

Hammer was stammering as they all moved. “Actually, uh, it’s on hold—“

“That’s not what i heard. What’s the difference between ‘hold’ and ‘cancelled’?” Tony sat down first, letting Peter sit on his lap. Normally Peter would say he was too old for this and would sit by himself but he could feel his Dad’s hand shaking as Hammer and the reporter lady followed behind. Uncle Rhodey always said Peter was the best medicine for his Dad’s anxieties and judging by the fact that Tony’s sunglasses were still on his face, he needed a large dose of Peter right now.

“The truth?” Peter spoke up as the reporter lady and Hammer took their seats. Tony let out a loud laugh at Peter’s words, the both of them enjoying Justin Hammer’s spluttering expression.

“Why don’t we put that away,” Hammer tried to brush the recorder out the reporter’s hand but she held it strong in her grip. When that didn’t work, he cleared his throat loudly before turning to Peter with a plastered on, fake smile. “You must be excited to be here, kiddie.”

Peter glared at Hammer and shrugged. “It’s okay.”

“Much better than school,” Hammer pressed. “I know i would rather be here in Monaco than doing my timetables in Math class!” If the statement had come from literally anyone else, Peter would’ve laughed and agreed. But there was something sickeningly fake about Hammer’s voice and words that made Peter frown more.

“Maths class is fun,” Peter leaned back so his back was pressed against his Dad’s stomach. Tony had his hands on Peter’s sides, holding him in place. Sitting like this made Peter suddenly nostalgic for a time that had passed, missing the times he used to crawl into Tony’s lap after they got used to living with each other. 

After Afghanistan, Peter had re-picked up all his childish habits of clinging to his Dad’s side, sitting on his lap and crawling into his bed at night but with Afghanistan more than a year behind them now, Peter was trying to once again break out into independence. He was over the fear that his Dad would suddenly disappear again, accepting that Tony was here for the long haul.

“And i’m studying Advanced Algebra,” Peter added. “I learnt my timetables years ago.”

“Ah,” Hammer chuckled awkwardly, seeming displeased with Peter’s answer but fearing saying anything against the kid considering Tony was right there.

“That’s my kid,” Tony ruffled Peter’s hair, a proud grin spread across his face.

Hammer cleared his throat again. “The truth is I’m actually hoping to present something at your Expo.”

Peter wrinkled his nose, angling his head up at his Dad to show just how confused he was at that information. The Expo was something his Dad had been working on for some time, creating science exhibits and showcasing his tech for the world to see. Aunt Pepper had said the Expo was Tony’s ego going crazy but Peter thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

And it was definitely no place for Justin Hammer.

“Well, if you invent something that works, I’ll make sure i get you a spot.” Tony spoke coyly and Peter had to bite his cheeks to keep his giggle in. His eyes lit up yet again when Natalie approached from behind, bending down so she could talk into Peter’s Dad’s ear.

“Mr Stark, your corner table is ready,” Natalie’s voice was light and she smiled at Peter once again when he hopped off his Dad’s lap to follow her.

“Bye Ms Reporter lady,” Peter waved at the blonde woman as he walked away before pausing and giving Hammer one last look. “Uh, bye Mr Hammer.”

Justin Hammer wasn’t even paying enough attention to say goodbye back as he turned round to the blonde reporter who’d lost all interest in him. “I actually have a slot this year, yes i do,” he continued to dig the same hole as Peter shook his head and walked off.

“Hammer needs a slot, Christine,” Tony called as he walked behind Peter, one hand still on his kid’s shoulder. 

“We kid, ha ha ha, we’re kidders,” Justin Hammer’s voice was just as obnoxious far away as it was close up.

“Dad,” Peter pulled on Tony’s jacket sleeve as they followed Natalie towards their table. “I need the toilet.” He’d been trying to ignore the pressure in his bladder for a little while but without Hammer’s annoying voice to distract him now, Peter realised he was suddenly desperate.

“Alright buddy,” Tony suddenly veered him in the opposite direction to where Natalie was going. “Natalie, give us 5!” He called as Peter pushed through the oak doors to the luxurious bathroom. “I’ll wait here for you, Pete.”

Peter just nodded as he headed to the toilet. It was only when he left and noticed his Dad standing by the mirror, pressing his finger against a small rectangular machine did something flip in Peter’s stomach. Something didn’t feel right.

“Dad?” Peter stepped forward, wishing he hadn’t called out as his Dad quickly stashed the machine and the slight worry that had been on Tony’s face a few seconds prior was replaced by fake enthusiasm.

“There’s my star pee-er,” his Dad clapped his hands together but Peter could see through the facade. Something was definitely wrong.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” Peter quickly washed his hands, doing his best to avoid Tony’s burning gaze. “Was it Hammer? Because he’s just a douche—“

“Nothing is wrong kiddo,” Tony shook his head. “And it’s definitely not Hammer, okay?”

“But something is wrong though,” Peter frowned as he watched his Dad’s face twitch slightly. There was pain in his eyes, something sad hidden beneath them. He was looking at Peter like it might be his very last time. “What was that machine?”

“Nothing to concern yourself with,” Tony shook his head, stepping closer so he could put his hands on Peter’s shoulders. He knelt down so he was at Peter’s eye level. “Come on Bambi, show me a smile.”

Peter looked uncertainly at his Dad. “Nothing is wrong?”

“Nothing i want you to worry about,” Tony forced a slight smile on his face. A hand brushed some of Peter’s hair out of his face. It wasn’t a no but Peter guessed he could live with that answer for now. “Where’s the smile i asked for?”

Peter sighed, rolling his eyes at his Dad’s antics before squeezing his eyes tight and lifting his mouth up into a wide and enthusiastic smile. Tony laughed, ruffling Peter’s hair as he stood back up. “Ah, there it is!”

“Can we go watch the race Dad?” Peter slipped his hand into Tony’s as they both exited the bathroom.

“That’s what i brought you here for, right?” 

Peter sometimes wondered how he managed to survive those 3 months last year, back when his Dad was missing. Even as infuriating as the man was, Peter knew that he would always need Tony in his life.

——————

Crying into Natalie Rushman’s shoulder was not the highlight of Peter’s week but he had to admit that the woman was very comfortable to cry on. They were both back at the Hotel his Dad had rented out for their Monaco stay, sitting on the plush sofa that no doubt cost more than half of Peter’s friends’ houses. Natalie was rubbing his back, whispering kind words to Peter as the boy sobbed into her (rather comfortable) shoulder.

“I hate him,” Peter cried, the tears feeling hot and sticky as they ran down his cheeks and soaked through to Natalie’s pink dress. They were both wearing the same clothes they’d been wearing to the Grand Prix event, except now Peter’s sleeves were rolled up past his elbows and he’d thrown his tie away. Similarly, Natalie’s dress was all wrinkled and there was a large patch of wet tears soaking her right shoulder.

“No, you don’t,” Natalie’s voice was low but kind and she kept rubbing Peter’s back with a gentle hand. As much as Peter appreciated her being here and holding him as he cried, he hated how she was able to see past his half-hearted lies.

“Yes, i d-do!” Peter hiccuped loudly, pulling away from Natalie’s embrace. “H-he did something s-stupid and h-he left me!”

“Your Dad didn’t leave you Peter,” Natalie soothed him once again, running a soft thumb over Peter’s wet cheeks. 

“Yes he did!” Peter’s voice rose up, sounding far more hysterical than he wanted. “He t-told me to stay at the table with you and Aunt P-Pepper and then he d-disappeared. H-he could’ve died on the race track!”

Peter doubted he would ever forget how terrified he’d felt when he’d seen his Dad on the TV screen only 10 minutes after he’d been told to stay at the table with Aunt Pepper. His Dad had mentioned something about “hey, why own a race car if you can’t drive it?” that made Peter’s stomach curl. Aunt Pepper had yelled at Natalie to get Happy, before rushing off to bring Tony the Iron Man suit, leaving Peter all alone to watch the horrible newscast where his Dad was being attacked on live TV.

The only thing Peter was proud of was the fact that he’d been able to hold in his tears until the second Natalie had driven him back to the Hotel after the man who’d attacked his Dad had been arrested. 

“He didn’t know that man was going to attack him.” Natalie reached over Peter to grab a tissue, using it to dab away Peter’s tears and the snot trying to leak out his nose. She had a sad look on her face as a gentle hand brushed at Peter’s hair. “He loves you Peter, he wouldn’t leave.”

“Then why d-did he do something stupid?”

“Why do we all do stupid things? Sometimes we don’t think.”

Peter liked that Natalie Rushman always seemed so understanding and caring despite the situation. If it had been Aunt Pepper, she would’ve been cursing Tony’s name and holding Peter close to her chest like she was trying to protect him from his Dad’s idiocy. It was a nice change that Natalie tried to reason his Dad’s stupid actions and rebuke all Peter’s claims of hatred.

“God forbid you inherited your Dad’s genes,” Natalie tried to lighten the mood. They were waiting for Tony to come back from interrogating the man who’d attacked him several hours ago and now that Peter’s crying fit was over, the time was starting to drag.

“No worry about that,” Peter used his sleeve to wipe at his nose as he shrugged his shoulders. “I’m adopted.”

The always stoic and omniscient Natalie Rushman paused, giving Peter a look of confusion for a second. “Tony adopted you?” She looked as if she’d been suddenly exposed as out of the loop, a frown growing on her face as Peter confirmed the new knowledge.

“Yeah,” Peter used the palm of his hand to wipe away the fresh tears trying to break free. “Why?”

Natalie recovered almost as quick as her bout of confusion had arrived. The shock from before disappeared like it had never been there, with a small smile quickly replacing it. “Well then,” her voice didn’t even wobble as she spoke. “Don’t pick up his bad habits.”

Peter shook his head, pressing his head back on Natalie’s shoulder, drawing in comfort from how warm her body was.

“I won’t,” he promised. If there was anything Peter knew it was that he never wanted to break the promise he had just made to Natalie Rushman.

——————

Peter wasn’t speaking to his Dad— partially by choice and partially because Aunt Pepper refused to let him. Ever since the events of Monaco, Peter’s Dad’s irrational behaviour had gone from bad to worse. 

The entire flight home after what Peter dubbed as ‘The Grand Prix Fiasco’, he’d given his Dad the cold shoulder. The teary reunion they’d had in the Hotel room a few hours after Natalie had driven him back had been enough for Peter to let his Dad know that he was mad at him for what he’d done. The cold shoulder had just been Peter’s petty way of proving his point.

“Aunt Pepper, are you sure i can’t even just call Dad?” Peter kicked his feet out on the chair he was sitting in, in his Aunt’s new office (which was just his Dad’s old office but redecorated). His Aunt was on the phone, arguing with the thousandth person that afternoon about his Dad’s erratic behaviour.

“Peter,” Aunt Pepper put her hand over the receiver for one second and gave him a stern look. “I’ve told you: no. Your Dad needs some time right now.”

“But what if he gets lonely?” Peter picks at his shirt’s hem, trying to act casual despite the worry eating at his stomach. He was still mad at his Dad, sure, but that didn’t mean he wanted Tony to suffer all by himself. No matter how naughty Peter was, his Dad was still always there.

Aunt Pepper’s slight annoyance faded away as she took in Peter’s sad expression. “Why don’t you go down the hall and find Natalie, okay? We’ll continue this conversation later.”

Peter just nodded, excited at the prospect of seeing Natalie once again. He all but ran down the hall to the small office Pepper had gifted Natalie, knocking on the door loudly before rushing on in. “Hi Natalie!”

“Hi Peter,” Natalie put down a file she was holding, giving the 7 year old a large smile. “And what can i do to help you?”

Peter shrugged, moving around the desk so he could stand beside her. “Aunt Pepper said i should come find you.”

“Lucky for me,” Natalie chuckled in a friendly manner. Peter glanced down at the file she’s been writing on before he’d barged into her office. He frowned at the words, trying to make sense of them.

“What’s an Avenger?” Peter didn’t recognise the word. The second he’d asked, Natalie whipped the file from the desk and placed it inside one of the desk drawers.

“Never mind that,” she shrugged her shoulders in a way that made Peter believe her. 

“Do you like working with Aunt Pepper?” He asked suddenly, letting the words slip out. It was strange how close Natalie and Aunt Pepper had become recently. Ever since the failure Tony’s birthday had been, the two women had become conjoined at the hip. 

Peter hadn’t been there to see his Dad’s failed party but he’d heard enough from Happy and Aunt Pepper to know that Tony had seriously crossed the line. He’d been staying at a friend’s house for the night but he knew something bad had gone down when Happy picked him up the next morning with a face like thunder and Aunt Pepper began to refuse letting Peter go home or see Tony.

From what Peter can gather, his Dad had gotten extremely drunk, resulting in their house nearly getting blown up and his Uncle Rhodey leaving with one of the unpainted Iron Man suits after a pretty serious fight. 

Aunt Pepper had reassured Peter that Tony was alive and unharmed but that he just wasn’t able to care for Peter at the current time. Leaving Peter to stay with her and being forced to hang out at the office after school. 

“Yes, why do you ask?” Natalie frowned slightly, deliberately making her expression look dumb like she couldn’t understand why Peter was asking.

“I don’t know, i thought you guys didn’t like each other at first.”

A smirk grew on Natalie’s face. “That’s women for you, bud.”

“Women are confusing,” Peter frowned, muttering it quietly to himself. “But you and Aunt Pepper are friends now?”

Natalie paused for a second before nodding. “Sure.”

“Do you prefer Aunt Pepper to my Dad?” He didn’t really know what answer he was expecting or hoping for as he asked but the curiosity was rising.

The red-haired woman leant back in her seat, giving Peter an unreadable expression as she formulated her words. “I think they’re two very different people with different skills being brought to the table.”

Peter almost rolled his eyes at her answer because it wasn’t really an answer to his question. “They aren’t that different. I think Dad and Aunt Pepper are really similar, which is why they fight a lot.”

Natalie shrugged, “I guess so. Does it bother you when they fight?”

“Nah,” Peter told the truth. “Because i know they don’t mean it.” He tried to ignore the nagging feeling that maybe they did feel it now, considering Aunt Pepper was holding him hostage and refusing to let him call his Dad. But then, was that more of a punishment for his Dad or for Peter? Peter couldn’t think of anything he’d done wrong.

“Is something wrong with my Dad?” Peter frowned, kicking out one of his feet to hit the desk gently as he tried to remain casual. The question had been bugging him for weeks, especially ever since The Grand Prix Fiasco and now his Dad’s party. It wasn’t like his Dad to pull him out of school for a few days and not invite Peter to his birthday party.

Natalie frowned in return, concern covering her features. “What makes you say that?”

“Something is wrong,” Peter declared because he just knew it to be true. He may only be 7 (or 61 considering his true birthday which Aunt Pepper always said didn’t count) but Peter wasn’t dumb; he knew something was up and it seemed that everyone was either oblivious or lying to him.

“Please don’t lie to me,” Peter hated how he begged but he needed the truth. His Dad always rebuked his concerns and Aunt Pepper didn’t seem to have caught on that something bad was going on with his Dad.

Natalie placed a soft hand on Peter’s shoulder, squeezing gently. He liked how comforting just one of her hands could be, like one shoulder squeeze and Peter knew whatever she was about to say he would believe her. “Your Dad has a lot on his plate right now; something is up, yes, but it isn’t anything he can’t handle.”

“Is he going to die?” The question was brutal but Peter needed to know. He’d lost so much in his short (albeit kinda long) life and he needed to know if Tony was going to be added to that list.

“No,” Natalie looked shocked at his statement before the worry clouded over her expression. “Like i said: it isn’t anything your Dad can’t handle. One thing i know for certain about your Dad is that he wouldn’t leave you.”

“But if he’s sick,” Peter’s voice wobbled. He’d noticed the dark bags under his Dad’s eyes growing and he’d noticed how waxy and pale his complexion had gotten. His Dad sometimes looked haunted whenever Peter looked at him and Peter knew that no matter how much his Dad promised to never leave, sometimes it was out of the man’s control. “He can’t always keep promises."

“He’s going to be fine,” Natalie shook her head, a comforting smile twitching across her face. “He just needs to sort out some personal problems— to right some wrongs and then he’ll be back to normal. I promise, Peter, i’ll never let something bad happen to your Dad.”

“You promise?” 

“I promise,” Natalie smiled, her eyes twinkling in the light. Unlike his Dad’s promises as of late, Peter really believed Natalie when she said this. If Natalie looked after him so well, Peter knew she could also look after his Dad.

“Do you think Aunt Pepper or my Dad will mind if i start calling you Auntie?” Peter had wanted to start calling her it ever since she’d held him as he’d cried after The Grand Prix Fiasco but he’d chickened out each time he was going to. Natalie reminded him a lot like his Aunt Pepper in the way that she was always kid to Peter and always wiped away his tears. But Natalie also reminded Peter a lot like his Mom; they both had spitfire personalities (even if Natalie did try and conceal it) and they were both badass and able to kick anyone’s ass if need be.

He liked that Natalie reminded him a lot of the two women he loved most in life.

Peter’s words seemed to have made Natalie pause as she opened her mouth a few times but no words came out. It took several seconds before Natalie let out a jerky nod, a genuine smile growing across her face. “I don’t know about them but i would be honoured.”

Peter couldn’t stop the cheer that escaped his throat, leaping forward to give her a hug. He liked how she always put a hand at the back of his neck just like how his Dad did it. “I think Auntie Natalie suits you.”

“Call me Auntie Nat,” she brushed a stray strand of hair out of his face when he pulled back. There was something unreadable about her expression but Peter thought he could see a tinge of happiness in her eyes. Peter was just about to say something else when Auntie Nat suddenly stood up, grabbing some files into her hands. “It’s time to go see your other Aunt now, come on.”

They walked back down the hall to Aunt Pepper’s office, Peter babbling along about how much he loved Star Wars and “have you seen it Aunt Nat? It’s a masterpiece” when the red-head opened the large office doors only for Peter to make eye contact with his Dad. Tony was sitting in the chair opposite Pepper just like Peter had not too long ago, his face lighting up slightly when he spotted Peter.

“Miss Potts?” Natalie’s voice changed again, back into the sweet assistant tone she used around Pepper as she walked forwards to stand beside the strawberry-blonde haired woman. All Peter could do was freeze in the door as Happy suddenly appeared, putting a comforting hand on Peter’s shoulder.

“Hi, come on in,” Aunt Pepper seemed shaken up as she took in a deep breath but Peter ignored her.

His Dad looked slightly better than Peter remembered, he still had dark bags but they seemed less prominent and the cuts on his face from The Grand Prix Fiasco had finally faded. Tony’s hair was a mess, looking a lot like Peter’s when he first woke up in the morning.

“Well, if it isn’t my favourite kiddo,” Tony’s smile looked slightly forced as he turned in his chair and opened his arms wide for Peter to run into. 

No matter how mad Peter had been over his Dad about Monaco and from what he’d heard about the party, Peter couldn’t deny that he’d missed his Dad more than he could admit. “Dad,” Peter whispered before racing across the room and throwing himself into Tony’s arms.

“Wheels up in 25 minutes,” Natalie placed the files she’d been holding down on Aunt Pepper’s desk. 

“Wheels up? Where?” Tony frowned over Peter’s head, glaring at Peter’s two Aunts. He had his arms wrapped protectively around his son, holding him close to his body. Peter just clung to his Dad, pressing his face into the man’s chest.

“Anything else, Boss?” Happy asked from the doorway.

“I’m good, Hap,” Tony called back to his friend the second Pepper responded with: “No, i’ll be just another minute.” They stared at each other for a few seconds longer before Tony realised where he’d slipped up. He just wrapped his arms around Peter tighter in return.

“I lost all 3 kids in the divorce!” Tony tried to joke as he placed his chin on the crown of Peter’s head. It fell flat the second he spoke the words, making Happy shake his head slightly and for Peter to sniffle against his chest. “But hey, you didn’t answer me. Wheels up where?”

“We have a flight to New York to catch,” Aunt Pepper just sighed as she finished signing the papers Natalie had brought. “You know, damage control and the unnecessary Expo you insisted on having.”

“New York?” A frown grew on Tony’s face. “Whose staying with Pete then?”

“He’s coming with,” Aunt Pepper didn’t even spare Tony a glance as she placed the pen down and handed Natalie the files again.

“Oh really,” the anger was clear in his Dad’s voice, making Peter whimper. Why couldn’t they all be quiet and just let Peter hug his Dad? He buried his nose further into his Dad’s chest, taking in the man’s scent like it was his last time. “And what gives you the right to make such decisions about my son?”

“I think i have the right to make such decisions considering your recent behaviour,” Aunt Pepper glared.

“You aren’t his mother Pepper!” Tony hissed. Peter hated how they acted like he wasn’t even in the room.

“And you haven’t been acting much like his father recently, either,” the words were harsh and even for a second, Peter was taken aback by what she said. But there was minuscule truth to her words, hidden in the fact that Tony’s irrational behaviour as of late was getting worse and worse.

“You don’t get to make these decisions,” Tony continued to seethe, his hands shaking as they still held onto Peter. “Taking my son across the country— taking him out of school!”

“You took him out of school for Monaco,” Aunt Pepper continued being brutal as she rebuked Peter’s Dad. “Or did you forget that piece of information? Either way, Peter is coming with us to New York; Ben and May agreed to look after him for a few days while i deal with the Expo.”

Tony seemed to deflate at her words, letting his hands card through Peter’s hair. Peter wondered why his dad didn’t fight the point more or why he didn’t tell Aunt Pepper that Peter would be staying here with him, plain and simple.

“Come on Peter, it’s time to go,” Aunt Pepper’s once harsh voice grew sympathetic as she stood up from her desk, placing her bag over her shoulder. She picked up the blue and red backpack Peter had brought over as she walked around the desk to where Happy stood by the door.

“Dad,” Peter finally lifted his head out of his Dad’s chest. “You’re going to be okay, right?” 

Tony’s hands felt rough and course against Peter’s cheek but the boy still lent into it. “Of course, Bambi. I’ll see you soon okay? You be good for Ben and May.” He leant his head in to whisper in Peter’s ear. “Maybe give Aunt Pep hell for a bit first, alright?”

Despite his sadness at being taken away from his Dad again, Peter giggled. “I miss you.”

“I miss you more kiddo,” Tony’s voice sobered and he sighed. “But it’s going to okay again soon.”

“I can come home?” Peter sniffled. He missed his room and all his toys and the pool overlooking the sea that he swam in whenever it was warm. But most of all, Peter missed his Dad and their lazy mornings and watching cartoons in bed. He missed trying— and failing— to cook breakfast and just simply being in his Dad’s company.

“I hope so,” it didn’t sound like a promise but it was all Peter had as Aunt Pepper called out his name again and Peter was forced to leave his Dad’s warm embrace to join her and Happy as they headed down to the car.

“While you’re here Tony,” Aunt Pepper called out just before she walked out. “Maybe you and Natalie could discuss the matter of personal belongings.”

“Why?” Tony yelled just as the door closed. “You’ve taken the only thing that matters!”

Peter held tightly to his Aunt’s hand as they headed down to the car, ignoring her mumbled insults as the frustration his Dad seemed to bring slowly wore off. All Peter could hope was that it wouldn’t be too long until his Dad was back to his good old self again.

——————

Blood was running down Peter’s face as one of the paramedics pressed a thick piece of cloth against the cut, trying to stem the flow. They’d made him take off the Iron Man helmet that Ben had brought a few hours ago much to Peter’s dismay, making the boy more pouty than in pain.

“Are you hurt anywhere else kid?” The woman holding the cloth used her other hand to check for more injuries. Peter just shook his head, holding his Iron Man helmet tight in his grip as he waited for her to be done. The only reason he’d cut his head had been because he’d tripped and his forehead had smashed into his helmet, making it bleed a little.

“Okay,” the woman sighed as the blood finally stopped flowing from the cut on his head. “One of my colleagues will come by in a second, she’ll ask you for a number so we can call your parents to come get you.”

Peter frowned, he didn’t know what his Dad’s number was. Even if he did, he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to hand it out to strangers (even if those strangers were trying to help). He sniffled slightly as he watched a serious looking lady in a black suit and skirt walk towards him. Her face was slightly scary with thin eyebrows and bright red lips, making Peter shudder when her cold eyes focused on him. He knew she was the kind of lady who took kids to special homes if their parents didn’t come pick them up.

“Do you have a number i can call?” The woman stopped in front of Peter, her hands going immediately to her waist. They were currently in a make-shift medical tent pitched up in the now-destroyed Expo, with all the paramedics and doctors having come in to treat those injured after the Hammer attack. 

“Um,” Peter bit his lip and shook his head. He didn’t even know Aunt Pepper or Auntie Natalie’s number.

“Stay here, i’m going to have to process you,” the woman sighed as she walked away for a second to grab some pen and paper. Peter didn’t even think twice before he bolted from the tent with his helmet in his hand. He could hear the woman calling after him but Peter didn’t stop.

The Expo was now a complete mess. What had once been a beautiful display of science and technology was now just rubble and shattered glass. Broken pieces of the Hammer robots littered the floor and everywhere Peter looked there was either a lost shoe or thrown purse from when everyone had started running during the attack.

It had taken mere hours for Peter to convince May and Ben to let him go to the Expo, begging them over and over that it was his Dad’s and that Peter desperately wanted to go. In the end, they’d agreed and then only an hour after they’d arrived had the Hammer bots started going haywire.

In all the commotion, Peter had managed to get lost from Ben and May, leaving him roaming the Expo alone with nothing but his helmet and bruised head. (Except he hadn’t been alone for long when his Dad had touched down beside him, shot a Hammer bot and declared “Good job, kid” before flying off). 

All Peter wanted was to go home now. The Hammer bots were all destroyed thanks to his Dad, the Expo was now deserted and it seemed whilst people had gotten hurt, none of it had been fatal. It seemed the weeks-long torment his Dad had been going through was finally (or at least hopefully) over now and Peter wanted nothing more than to go home to Malibu and sip Virgin Pina Coladas under the California sun.

“Peter?” A familiar voice called out to him, making the young boy turn around. Natalie Rushman stood a few metres away, her hair suddenly extremely curly as it ran down her back and she was dressed in a skin-tight black suit. “What are you doing here?”  
“Auntie Nat!” Peter screamed, relief filling him as he raced towards her. She ducked down just in time for Peter to throw himself against her, holding her close and sobbing quietly into her neck. “May and Ben brought me to the Expo!” He explained sadly. “I was so scared, i didn’t know where anyone was.”

“I’m here now,” Auntie Nat rubbed Peter’s back gently, shushing him. “It’s all okay now.”

“Auntie Nat,” Peter pulled back with a small frown. “Why’re you dressed like that?” 

A small smirk crossed her face as she brushed some hair out of Peter’s face. “Can i tell you a secret?” Peter nodded enthusiastically. “I’m actually a secret spy.” She whispered the words, keeping her tone playful as Peter looked at her with awe.

“No way!”

“Way,” she nodded. “My mission was to shadow your Dad for these past few weeks.”

“To keep him safe?”

“Yeah,” Auntie Nat shrugged. “To keep him safe.”

“Is that how you knew how to flip Happy?”

Auntie Nat laughed, nodding. “Sure is.” She stood up, holding out her hand for Peter to take as they navigated their way through the debris. “Let’s get you back to your Dad, okay?”

“Wait,” Peter paused for a second, a frown coming across his face. “If you’ve been a spy this whole time, that means you were lying! You lied to me!” He hated how betrayed he suddenly felt, the feeling growing in his heart as he stared at the woman who he’d come to see like an Auntie. 

“Only because i had to,” Auntie Nat sighed. “Everything i said was true, i just . . . told a fib about my name and job.”

“So your name isn’t really Natalie Rushman?” Peter’s mouth opened wide as he watched her with shock. “What is it?”

Auntie Nat smirked down at him, squeezing his hand gently. They walked through all the broken Expos technology and smashed walls, mindful not to trip over (again) and get hurt. It felt like only minutes before they were outside a large Hotel just around the corner from where the Expo had been; Peter guessed his Dad was inside.

“My name is Natasha Romanov,” Peter decided that her real name suited her more than her fake name did. “But my spy name is Black Widow.”

“Wow,” Peter’s eyes were wide as he took in the cool names. He would never admit it to his Dad but he preferred the name Black Widow to Iron Man any day. It sounded just as cool as the woman next to him looked.

“Even though you lied about your name,” Peter chose his words carefully as they entered the lift to take them up to his Dad’s suite. “You didn’t lie about being my friend, right?”

“Never,” Natalie ducked down to his level, her eyes shining as she smiled in a genuine way. “I’m always going to be Auntie Nat.”

As the lift doors opened, Peter was glad that his family had once again grown to fit another adult he knew he could always trust. Even though she’d lied, Peter felt as if he’d known Auntie Nat his whole life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *and then auntie nat survives endgame*

**Author's Note:**

> if you got any requests of what you want to see, please let me know :)


End file.
